Latest TAC data highlights serious injury concerns ahead of Easter

03 Apr 2012

MEDIA RELEASE: 3 April 2012

The latest Transport Accident Commission (TAC) data shows serious injuries from road crashes in Victoria have increased on last year.

The trend is highlighted in the TAC's latest Road Safety Statistical Summary (pdf) released today.

Last year's figure of 3,820 serious injuries is up on the five year average of 3,669 and is a nine per cent increase on the 2009/10 figure of 3,497.

The new statistics have been released as the TAC and road safety agencies remind Victorians to keep safe on the roads this Easter.

Fatigue is a constant concern with research showing that 13% of drivers admit to falling asleep at the wheel. Nearly half of those have fallen asleep on a journey of more than 2 hours and 66% say it happened on a country road or highway.

The TAC Senior Manager Road Safety and Marketing John Thompson said fatigue was a major contributing factor in road crashes and it was important to plan Easter journeys.

"Make sure you get a good night's sleep before you hit the road, plan to take a break every two hours and take extra care on unfamiliar country roads," Mr Thompson said.

"The TAC encourages all drivers planning an Easter road trip to make the most of the SES Driver Reviver stops, to take a break and have a free coffee.

"To encourage younger drivers to have a break, we are offering free music download vouchers at the Driver Reviver stops," Mr Thompson said.

The TAC is supporting Victoria Police in the "We are the Toll" campaign, calling on the community and every police officer to take action against the rising road toll.

"We need the community to commit to reducing road trauma 100 per cent of the time," Mr Thompson said.

"As we enjoy time with our family and friends this Easter, let's all make the commitment to keeping our roads safe."

The latest Statistical Summary includes (pdf):

• new serious injury data by 10,000 vehicles and 100,000 people. This data shows the volatility of serious injury data with sharp increases and decreases over the decade.
• a new section comparing serious injuries among road users in city and regional areas.
• the latest serious injury data by Police Service Area
• trends in Melbourne versus regional Victorian data for fatalities where a high Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) was recorded.