Police brace for summer road rage spike, influx in traffic
Melburnians who flock to the regions when coronavirus restrictions lift may be putting themselves at risk behind the wheel after months of restricted driving, police fear.
Police & Courts
Don't miss out on the headlines from Police & Courts. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Police fear city dwellers who flock to the regions when current restrictions ease may expose themselves to road trauma after months of restricted driving.
Although the state’s road toll is down 20 per cent on last year, intelligence shows a spike in lives lost and collisions per 10,000 vehicles on the road during the pandemic.
This year 159 lives have been lost on Victorian roads compared to 201 this time last year.
Acting Assistant Commissioner for road policing John Fitzpatrick said the reduced lives lost
figure was misleading.
“For the amount of cars on the road, we are having too many crashes,” Mr Fitzpatrick said.
“There is real people behind these numbers. We give ourselves a false sense (of security). “While they are down, our lives lost and collisions per 10,000 vehicles on the road are high and that is alarming to us.”
Mr Fitzpatrick said he expected many Melburnians will soon be clocking distances and speeds they haven’t driven since March, heightening the risk of road trauma.
“This is a commencement of a brand new game,” he said.
“People aren’t going to be used to travelling long distances. We are coming out of one horrible pandemic. We don’t want people experience the pleasure of being able to move around the state and then have a horrible event where someone loses a life on the road; a family is never the same.”
Mr Fitzpatrick said an influx in traffic was inevitable along the state’s major arterial roads including the Hume and the Princes highways in coming months as people flocked to popular holiday destinations.
“With the restriction on interstate and overseas travel we will see people going to reach out to places they have never been before and are unfamiliar with those roads,” he said.
“I think we will see a lot more caravans and camper vans on the road because people will be taking the opportunity to use those, because they can’t travel (beyond Victoria).”
The force is also bracing for a spike in road rage incidents.
“Since March they (motorists) have been conditioned to have a pretty free run,” he said.
“Once we get the roads back to normal there will be some frustration people experience and that may lead to people getting angry and yelling at each other.
“Be patient with people. Be courteous. Let us demonstrate some tolerance and friendship. We need to not let our complacency take over.”
MORE NEWS
POLICE RAMP UP PATROLS AS DAN SLAMS BEACHGOERS
STAT THAT PROVES MCG COULD HAVE HOSTED GRAND FINAL