Media Release: HUME HIGHWAY TARGETED IN ROAD SAFETY INITIATIVES

FROM THE MINISTER FOR PUBLIC TRANSPORT

DATE: Thursday, October 9, 2003

HUME HIGHWAY TARGETED IN ROAD SAFETY INITIATIVES

The Bracks Government has introduced new legislation to give Victoria Police another weapon in the continuing fight to lower the road toll, Transport Minister Peter Batchelor announced today.

Laws before Parliament this week will enable the operation of point to point cameras, linked at various spots along a stretch of road, to detect drivers who speed over long distances.

The cameras will be introduced on the Hume Freeway, between Craigieburn and the NSW border, and will be used at high-risk periods.

“The State road toll stands at 256, and while it is 43 down on last year, there are still too many people dying on Victoria’s roads, particularly country roads,” Mr Batchelor said.

“The country road toll stands at 143, compared to 156 at the same time last year. The metropolitan road toll is at a historically low level, but the country toll has not shown the same degree of improvement. This new technology will help make our country roads safer.

“The average speed between two points will be calculated, and the figure used as evidence if an offence has been committed.”

The Government first foreshadowed the introduction of point to point speed cameras in 2001.

“This new technology will be introduced on the Hume Freeway, which has claimed 37 lives and injured 827 people during the past five years,” Mr Batchelor said.

“Initially, the cameras will be used only at high-risk times, including some public holiday periods.

“More vehicles travel on the Hume Freeway than any other freeway in regional Victoria. This, in conjunction with the high number of fatalities on the road, makes the Hume Highway the best choice for these cameras in order to maximise road safety.”

Mr Batchelor said NSW had been operating a similar system on the Hume for several years.

“We know speeding is the major cause of road trauma in Victoria, and our tough stance on speed enforcement is having an impact on reducing the road toll and saving lives,” he said.

“We need only look back to 2001, when the road toll was at 444, to realise our laws, and the presence of speed cameras, are having a positive impact.”

Mr Batchelor said most serious accidents on freeways are speed related, and the new camera technology would ensure irresponsible drivers are no longer able to avoid detection merely by slowing down for a few seconds near fixed safety cameras.