I would like to comment on one of the Victoria Police’s campaigns to reduce the annual road toll.   The “Speed Kills” campaign fails to acknowledge that the more dangerous element in driving is the lack of attention on the part of drivers for a whole range of reasons.    If speed was responsible then why do we permit people to fly in aircraft??  Wouldn’t it be safer to travel by sea??

Inattentive drivers and those under the influence have to be the prime causes of motor vehicle accidents and those responsible for accidents.  Obviously intoxicated drivers travelling too fast will also cause accidents as they are unable to respond, nor recognise or distinguish what is safe and what is not. 

While I agree that accidents at higher speeds are more likely to result in more serious injuries I do not believe speeding should be portrayed as the cause of accidents.  Travelling at higher than the speed limit when conditions permit is entirely safe to do so the majority of the time.  Providing the driver is concentrating on driving the motor vehicle and is aware of its capabilities.   

In my near 30 years driving experience I have seen a lot of poor driving and I’m not surprised the road toll is so high.   Drivers need to be fined for their lack of attentiveness on our roads and be reminded that driving is a serious activity.   Targeting of experienced drivers exceeding the speed limit in non urban areas does smack of blatant fund raising as does the number of speed cameras being utilised. 

Let’s get our priorities right and see a bit more policing on inattentive drivers.

Regards
Graeme

Response from Victoria Police

To imply that speed isn't one of the leading killers on our roads is simply untrue. Last year around 100 people died on our roads in circumstances where speed was a contributing factor.

Speed, fatigue, drunk and drug driving continue to be key contributors to serious collisions and deaths on our roads. Only this morning police are at the scene of a fatal collision in St Albans which appears to be the direct result of speed.

All of our enforcement campaigns are based on strong evidence. Our highly experienced police attend collisions and deaths on a weekly basis, they analyse the crash site and they know what causes collisions and deaths.

Whilst I agree that driver distraction is another key risk on our road, it does not lessen the risk of speed. That is why Victoria Police continues to target motorists who drive whilst using their mobile phones.

We are well aware that many people in the community hold the view that speeding fines are only about raising revenue - they are not. Victoria Police has no interest in the money generated by speeding fines. We would rather see motorists take the initiative and slow down.

The comment that travelling at higher than the speed limit when conditions permit is entirely safe to do so is completely misleading. On a daily basis members attend crash scenes involving low level speed. Small changes in speed can result in significant reductions in road trauma. Consider this example:

In average conditions, a car travelling at 60km/h will take about 45 metres to stop in an emergency braking situation. A car braking from 65km/h will still be moving at close to 32km/h after 45 metres travelled.

Research undertaken by Professor Jack McLean of the NHMRC Road Accident Research Unit of the University of Adelaide has shown the risk of involvement in a casualty crash doubles with each 5km/h increase in free travelling speed above 60km/h.

A 5km/h reduction in speed can result in a decrease of at least 15% in the number of crashes.

Drink driving is also a major contributor to road deaths and serious injuries.

In 2008, a total of 50 drivers and motorcyclists were killed with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.05 g/100ml and over, which is 10 less than the previous calendar year.

We do believe we have our road policing and enforcement priorities right. We make no apologies for our actions and will continue to target motorists until the message gets through. In doing this we are saving lives and it is hoped that in 2009 we will be able to achieve a record road toll of less than 300.

Around 20 per cent of fatal road crashes involve driver fatigue. According to VicRoads Road Accident Facts Victoria, 1998 Edition, about 30 per cent of severe single vehicle crashes in rural areas involve the driver being fatigued.

Data shows that fatigue related road crashes alone cost the Australian community around $3 billion every year.

A study conducted by the Adelaide Centre for Sleep Research concluded that a person who has been awake for 17 hours faces the equivalent risk of having an accident as a person who has a BAC reading of 0.05 g/100ml, and is therefore twice as likely to have an accident as a person with a zero blood alcohol content who is not fatigued.

Drivers who have been awake for 24 hours have an equivalent driving performance to a person who has a BAC of 0.1 g/100ml, and is seven times more likely to have an accident.

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