Simple but unavoidable factors behind VIctoria’s horror 2019 road toll
As Victoria counts the lives lost in a horror year on the roads, the causes of our mounting death toll have been revealed in a final plea for motorists ahead of the Christmas and summer period.
VIC News
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Victoria’s departing top traffic cop has declared the causes of this year’s horror road toll are plain and simple, and issued a desperate final plea to halt the carnage.
Assistant Commissioner Stephen Leane, who is leaving the force after almost 40 years to become the state’s new speed and red light camera watchdog, said basic but avoidable factors were needlessly costing lives.
He fears Victoria’s road toll could reach 270 deaths by year’s end. It’s already 25 per cent up on last year.
Mr Leane, who will finish at Victoria Police this week, said speed was a factor in almost a third of road deaths.
Drugs and alcohol were involved nearly 25 per cent of the time, and more than 10 per cent of people killed weren’t wearing seatbelts.
“There is no reason we need to have this many people die on our roads next year,” he said. “But it’s in everybody’s hands.”
A total of 244 people have died on the roads this year compared with 195 at the same time last year. But the horror run of deaths has slowed in recent months.
Victoria Police analysis shows a concerning number of vulnerable road users killed, including 42 motorcyclists, 44 pedestriansand nine cyclists.
“The community is sick of people lecturing them about what they should and shouldn’t do,’’ Mr Leane said.
“My last opportunity to have an interview and talk to the community should be about not lecturing them — but just to remind ourselves that these numbers are real people with real families.
“We know what the causes of road trauma are. And we all can make a different choice and change the statistics — it’s as simple as that.
“We don’t have to go to experts across the world to understand what causes this. There are some really simple things that we know cause road trauma.”
Distraction is an issue, with cameras that can detect drivers using mobile phones now being explored.
Mr Leane — who has a law degree and completed a Masters of Education for “fun” — joined the force in 1980 aged 17.
He has had numerous roles in Force Command, including assistant commissioner for professional standards and the North WestMetro region.
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He has served during recent big events such as the Bourke St massacre, Flinders St attack and Moomba riots.
He oversaw management of crowd behaviour at the MCG for years, dealt with the spate of alcohol-fuelled violence that led to a lockout in Melbourne’s CBD, and infamously found AFL star Tony Lockett hiding in a wardrobe during a 1998 raid on a greyhoundstud.
“For nearly 40 years it’s been a fabulous job,’’ he said.
“Some days have been really terrible — but there’s great rewards that come with it.
“I’ve had a uniform of some sort in my wardrobe since I was four-and-a-half years old.
“I’ve finally let go of having to have a uniform.”
Victoria has had a horror year on the roads, with 244 lives lost in the 11 months so far.