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Saturday July 31, 2010

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Horror weekend as six people die

Posted by: 3AW Radio | 15 March, 2010 - 9:44 AM
Ambulance

Last year's record low road toll is nothing but a distant memory this morning after six people lost their lives on Victorian roads over the weekend.

The carnage has been described by Deputy Commissioner, Road Policing, Ken Lay, as 'nothing short of horrific'.

"Waking up this morning and reading this news is just so frustrating. To have lost six lives in the space of a weekend is far too much," Mr Lay said.

The horror on the roads started on Friday morning at 10.20 when a male truck driver was killed near Trafalgar. Later that night, a 19-year-old male passenger was killed in a collision near Hazelwood in eastern Victoria.

On Saturday morning at 9.40am a male cyclist was killed after he hit a truck on Two Bays Road near Mt Eliza, and just after 9pm that night a 48-year-old male pedestrian died after being hit by a car in St Kilda near the Chapel Street an Alma road intersection.

At about 3am yesterday morning a 23-year-old male was killed after he lost control of his utility near Smythesdale in the state’s west, and at 3.40pm yesterday a motorcyclist in his 50s died after a collision on the Maroondah Highway near Healesville.

The state's road toll now stands at 65, an alarming seven more than this time last year and just one less than the five-year average.

"I know a lot of police members who take pride in policing our roads are pretty devastated this morning," Mr Lay said. "I think all Victorians should be equally as distressed by the news. It's just a senseless loss of life."

"It wasn't even a long weekend and still it was so disappointing."
 
With Easter just two weeks away, Mr Lay urged the community to be as careful as ever when they hit the roads.

"When you've had something to drink, when you feel tired or distracted, please just stop and have a think: 'Should I really be driving?'"

Mr Lay said the weekend's fatalities have provided him and his team of road policing experts with more motivation to work harder and develop strategies to help make Victorian roads safer.

"Until everyone understands the risks involved in driving dangerously, we'll keep coming up with new ways to catch those doing the wrong thing."

Blog comments Your Say

  • the real problem is with people themselves yes if people see police or a camera they slow down for that moment but i see people morning and night on the phone,speeding deliberatly because im on 98 in a 100 zone and they fly past me im going to slow and i get the bird like im doing something wrong,they dont care we who drive safe hear the message they just dont care

    kathleen short Monday 15 March, 2010 - 7:56 PM

  • The road toll will never reduce unless we have a real police blitz. Not just a media blitz but real police on the street.

    Ken Gaffney Monday 15 March, 2010 - 4:24 PM

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