Victoria Police is calling on drivers to take more care in 2015 after almost 700 people were injured or killed on Brimbank and Melton roads last year.
Figures obtained from the Brimbank and Melton highway patrols reveal six fatal collisions on Brimbank roads in 2014 – up from five the year before. There were 134 serious-injury collisions where the injured person was admitted to hospital (149 in 2013), and 335 collisions resulting in injury (360).
A 20-year-old Roxburgh Park man was among the fatalities when his motorbike struck the back of an MFB truck on Ballarat Road in Deer Park last month. The man died at the scene.
In Melton, police recorded five fatalities (six in 2013), 76 serious-injury collisions (80) and 132 injury collisions (128).
Divisional road policing adviser Ross Burbidge said two of the three pedestrians killed in Brimbank had been affected by alcohol.
“Pedestrians need to take more care when crossing the road and use appropriate locations, like controlled intersections, where there is adequate lighting,” Senior Sergeant Burbidge said. “They should also wear light-coloured clothing.”
Meanwhile, police from the Brimbank and Melton highway patrols have just wrapped up Operation Summer Stay, which was run across Victoria during Christmas-New Year, targeting drivers under the influence of drugs and alcohol, and other offences.
Police caught 54 drink-drivers across the two cities and detected 1835 other offences.
Statewide, nearly 80,000 traffic offences were detected during the Summer Stay campaign. They involved 27,651 speeding drivers, 8650 unregistered vehicles, 5621 mobile phone offences, 2910 seatbelt offences, 2552 drink- drivers, 2487 disqualified and suspended drivers, and 816 drivers under the influence of drugs.
Road Policing Assistant Commissioner Robert Hill said although ‘Summer Stay’ had finished, the road safety message remained the same. “If everyone stays alert, sober and within the speed limit then we will take a major step towards our goal of zero deaths.”
