Top traffic cop defends Western Ring Road fines

Victoria’s top traffic cop has defended the hundreds of fines handed out to motorists fined on the Western Ring Road over four days.

Assistant Commissioner Doug Fryer told Neil Mitchell the majority of drivers chose not to speed.

The Road Safety Camera Commissioner John Voyage recommended the fines be upheld, despite VicRoads CEO John Merritt admitting the static 100km/hr sign was confusing.

Mr Fryer said it’s about driver education.

‘To put this into some context this isn’t around punishing bad people it’s around educating good people,’ he said.

‘We know a lot of good people exceeded the speed limit and by giving them a ticket they change their behaviour.

‘We had 1500 people over four sessions breach the limit, some of them significantly.

‘Our concern is we had a lot of people going through the M80 at speed.

‘When we had broken down cars and road works there and they were putting lives at risk.’

Click PLAY to hear more: