VicRoads, state government hope for repeat of record low road toll amid wire rope barrier rollout

While Victoria has recorded a record low road toll in 2018, curbing country crashes will be key to achieving an even lower number of deaths this year, authorities say.

Curbing country crashes will be key to achieving another record low road toll this year, authorities say.

The tally of 214 deaths in 2018 was Victoria’s lowest since records began — 45 fewer than 2017.

There was a 30 per cent decrease in deaths on country roads — 108 people died ­compared with 156 in 2017.

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But safety campaigners are hoping for fewer fatalities in regional areas in 2019.

It come as VicRoads starts a rollout of another 500km of wire rope barriers on the side of rural roads.

The installation will bring the total length to 2000km by the end of the year.

The scene of a horrific Truganina crash where two children were killed in July. Picture: Andrew Henshaw

Four women were killed at a fatal car crash at Navarre.

Road Safety Minister Jaala Pulford said the disproportionate number of crashes in the country had been “a particular area of concern” for several years and prompted the safety upgrades.

Ms Pulford said the reduction in deaths on high-speed regional roads was promising — but more needed to be done.

“We will continue until the loss of lives on our roads is zero. We believe this is achievable,” she said.

She said the ­government’s $1.4 billion Toward Zero plan had helped make a difference.

While the wire ropes have received some criticism — and their rollout could have been halted under a proposal by former Opposition leader Matthew Guy — Ms Pulford was confident they were working well.

“The evidence clearly tells us that they are saving lives, ” she said.

VicRoads chief executive Michael Malouf said safety upgrades had been important in driving down the road toll.

He said the number of ongoing projects was “the biggest blitz Victoria has ever seen” and he credited wire ropes and flexible safety barriers with preventing deaths.

Wire rope barriers have been credited for saving lives on the road.

web Road Toll 650 800

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The barriers were hit more than 3000 times in 2018 and had a “profound impact on saving lives”, he said.

TAC chief executive Joe Calafiore said: “While we have achieved a record lives lost figure, it is cold comfort to the families that have to suffer the consequences of road trauma.

“We have so much more work to do. The experts believe we can do a lot better.”

Head of Road Policing Operations, Superintendent John Fitzpatrick agreed, and said driver attention needed to improve.

He said people were not getting the message about putting their phones away while driving.

“We’ve gone from seeing the phone to the ear, now we’re seeing the phone in the lap … Some of those lives lost have been through distraction. The consequences are catastrophic.”

Supt Fitzpatrick said drug-affected drivers would be targeted, with drug tests to increase by 50 per cent over the next 12 months.

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