Victoria's worst 10 regions for road trauma revealed

20 May 2010

MEDIA RELEASE: 20 May 2010

The latest Victoria Police data shows Melbourne ’s inner city roads are again the worst location in Victoria for fatalities and serious injuries .

The other poor performing areas of the 55 Police Service Areas in Victoria in 2009 were Casey, Monash, Geelong , Yarra Ranges , Booroondara, Hume, Brimbank, Moreland and Dandenong.

Transport Accident Commission Minister Tim Holding said while the road toll had reduced in recent years to its lowest ever level, these areas are overrepresented when it comes to road trauma.

“While Victoria recorded its lowest ever road toll in 2009 (290) every death is avoidable and we want to continue to do everything we can to drive the road toll down even further ,” Mr Holding said.

“Knowing that a third of Victoria ’s road trauma occurred in these ten areas helps police run more targeted operations to stop people before its too late.

“The economic cost of road trauma is more than $4 billion a year - the emotional effects of road trauma on families and communities is even more devastating.

“I urge all Victorian drivers to take care on the road, obey the road rules and get to where you are going safely. One life lost is one too many.”

Mr Holding said the Brumby Government’s Arrive Alive Strategy aims to reduce the road toll by 30 per cent by 2017.

“We have come a long way to make Victorian roads safer and we will continue to introduce innovative ways to drive down the road toll and reduce serious injury,” he said.

“The Transport Accident Commission’s hard-hitting advertising campaigns, the Government’s anti-hoon laws and the reductions in speed limits around schools are all helping to make our roads safer.

“ Victoria Police will be running targeted operations in these areas with the support of the TAC, as part of the Enhanced Enforcement Program.

“We’ve already seen some of this work reap results such as Operation Don’t Do Your Dash in Melbourne and Operation Gatehouse in Geelong ,” he said.

The Top Ten are based on the percentage of fatality and serious injury collisions and the rate of serious casualties per 1000 population

* Nb. While the Police Service Area’s are similar to Local Government Area’s they are not exactly the same.