AMANDA Pollard hopes reliving her harrowing story will encourage Melton’s youngest motorists to stop risking their life and the lives of others on the road.
Amanda will be a guest speaker at next month’s Community Road Safety Forum and knows all too well the dire consequences of dangerous driver behaviour.
In 2008, after drinking heavily at a work function, she decided to drive home from work instead of catching a taxi. She and was involved in a serious accident when she slammed into a traffic controller working in the emergency lane of the Montague St ramp heading towards West Gate Freeway.
The road worker survived the accident but suffered severe knee and leg injuries.
Amanda’s life also changed in a split second.
She pleaded guilty to negligently causing serious injury and failing to stop after an accident.
Amanda served 12 months in jail and says she has to relive the accident each day.
“My whole life changed in a split second,” she told Star.
“I want kids to understand that. I was a successful businesswoman and my freedom was taken away.
“I couldn’t even hug my family when I was sentenced … the realities of day-to-day life in jail … being strip-searched.”
Amanda said what was worse than being incarcerated was finding out she had injured someone.
“There was a total loss, helplessness … hearing the words that you’ve injured someone will stay with you forever. It’s indescribable.
“I was scared beyond belief.”
But some good has now come from the traumatic incident.
Amanda now speaks to young drivers about the consequences of risky behaviour on the road.
“If you take risky behaviour it will happen to you.
“If I reach one child then I’ve done my job. We all make mistakes, but it’s what we do that defines you as a person.”
Inspector Stephen Mutton encouraged young drivers and their parents to attend the forum and said that some of the most tragic and difficult incidents that police see are those involving road trauma.
“Too often we see fatalities and serious injuries on our roads, and every single time it is nothing short of a tragedy,” Insp Mutton said.
“The majority of fatal collisions on Victorian roads are caused by speed and alcohol, with driver distraction becoming more prevalent.
“This forum is aimed at young drivers to show them that road safety is critical, and that irresponsible behaviour behind the wheel can have devastating consequences.”
The Community Road Safety Forum will run from 7pm to 9.30pm on Wednesday 10 April at the Melton Community Hall, 232 High Street Melton.
