VIC:Vic records lowest ever annual toll

AAP General News (Australia)
02-01-2011
VIC:Vic records lowest ever annual toll

MELBOURNE, Feb 1 AAP - Victoria has recorded its lowest ever annual road toll with
287 deaths in 2010, but police have vowed to focus on motorcycle and rural road deaths
to cut the toll futher.

Deputy Commissioner Kieran Walshe said the number was still too high.

"Last year we had 287 deaths on Victorian roads - this is 287 too many," Mr Walshe
said in a statement.

"Our aim is reduce the road toll to 237 by 2017, but this needs to be a community-wide effort."

Mr Walshe said speed, heavy vehicles, motorcycles and rural road deaths would be targeted
to try and reduce the toll further.

The toll was revised down from 291 after taking into account medical, intentional or
off-road fatalities.

Speed was the major contributing factor to road deaths in 2010, accounting for 30 per
cent of all fatal collisions, Mr Walshe said.

He warned speeding drivers they were on notice and would be caught.

"Even just a small reduction in speed can be the difference between life and death,"

Mr Walshe said.

A strategic review is underway of every motorcycle fatality in 2010 after a 29 per
cent increase in rider deaths from 2009, he said.

This was despite just a five per cent increase in motorcycle registrations.

There were 48 motorcycle collisions in 2010, with 70 per cent attributed to driver error.

Most fatalities occurred in 100km/h zones and almost 70 per cent were in daylight.

"The top three factors believed to have contributed to these deaths were speed, reckless
and careless riding, and inexperience," Mr Walshe said.

A analysis has been ordered of heavy vehicle collisions to drive research following
50 fatal crashes involving heavy vehicles in 2009.

The collisions resulted in 60 deaths - 21 per cent of all fatalities and a 50 per cent
increase on 2009, Mr Walshe said.

In regional Victoria there were 163 fatal collisions - a 13 per cent increase on the
previous year.

Speed and fatigue were major factors in these crashes.

Mr Walshe said police would expand their Roadside Drug Testing in rural areas after
Transport Accident Commission(TAC) research showed a perception by drivers that they could
evade alcohol and drug testing.

AAP md/rs

KEYWORD: TOLL VIC RESULTS WITH FACTBOX

� 2011 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.