Victoria‘s top traffic cop fumes after drivers die not wearing seatbelts

Victoria’s top traffic cop says she is “pretty annoyed” after a horror 12 hours on the state’s roads in which two drivers were killed while not wearing seatbelts.

Victoria’s top traffic cop says she is “pretty annoyed” at motorists refusing to belt up after a horror 12 hours on the state’s roads.

Three people have been killed in separate crashes in regional Victoria since 8pm on Sunday, while two men are fighting for life after a people mover hit a tree on the outskirts of Melbourne.

Road Policing Command Assistant Commissioner Libby Murphy told 3AW radio that it was believed at least two of the drivers killed weren’t wearing seatbelts.

The first fatality occurred just before 8pm on Sunday when a 4WD left the road and rolled at Congupna near Shepparton, with the male driver and only occupant of the car killed at the scene.

At 8.50pm, a Mazda BT50 drifted from the road and hit a tree at Nhill about 337km west of Melbourne.

The driver, a 37-year-old man, was found dead at the scene by witnesses.

About two hours later, a white Toyota Tarago carrying six people veered off the road and crashed into a tree at Millgrove in the Yarra Valley in Melbourne’s outer east.

The driver and front-seat passenger, both men aged in their 20s, were flown to The Alfred hospital with life-threatening injuries.

Four others seated in the back of the car – three men and a woman – were taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

Ms Murphy said police believed the four people in the back weren’t wearing seatbelts at the time of the crash.

The third fatality occurred in Orford near Warrnambool about 8.10am on Monday when a man was killed when the ute he was driving also hit a tree.

“I’m pretty annoyed, actually,” Ms Murphy told 3AW.

“These are three people on our roads, and certainly two, who we believe weren’t wearing seatbelts.

Assistant Commissioner Libby Murphy with Victoria Police’s commemorative tree, which includes a bauble for each life lost on the roads in 2020. Picture: Jake Nowakowski

“There was a collision at Millgrove, which is near Yarra Glen last night, which was six people in a people mover, and the advice from the members at the scene was everyone in the back didn’t have a seatbelt on … they’re all in hospital.”

Ms Murphy said 25 people died on Victoria’s roads in 2020 while not wearing a seatbelt, which was “25 too many”.

“To me, it is a common occurrence and people are making really bad choices,” she said.

“I just do not know what I need to do to get the message through to people – put your seatbelt on, belt up figuratively and literally start working with us, it is your best chance of survival.

“When you get in the car put your seatbelt on, don’t turn the ignition key until your seatbelt is on.

“It couldn’t be simpler, it couldn’t be plainer and the message again is country people, just because you’re driving on country roads, doesn’t mean that you don’t need a seatbelt.”

Ms Murphy said police had also caught more than 360 drug and drink-drivers over the holiday period, with excessive speeds also being detected, including one 21-year-old man caught allegedly travelling at 148km/h in a 60km/h zone in Chadstone on Sunday night.

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Originally published as Victoria‘s top traffic cop fumes after drivers die not wearing seatbelts