THE number of serious injury collisions has dropped in the Hobsons Bay area, but according to the area’s top cop people shouldn’t get complacent.
Hobsons Bay Inspector Richard Paterson said there was one fatality in Hobsons Bay in 2012.
“To the credit of drivers in Hobsons Bay there has been a reduction of about 20 per cent in serious injury collisions,” Insp Paterson said.
He said nearly half of all collisions in Hobsons Bay involved either vehicles travelling in the same direction or at intersections.
“Police continue to observe many offences along the Westage Freeway, Grieve Parade and Koroit Creek Rd,” he said.
The new Local Area Commander for Hobsons Bay said all members will be targeting speed, drink and drug driving, hoon driving and distraction offences, particularly mobile phone use.
“I believe every person in the community is able to influence driver behaviour by discussing driver attitudes and driver responsibilities with each other,” he said.
Meanwhile figures from Victoria Police have revealed the state’s road toll has dropped for the fifth consecutive year.
A total of 282 people were killed on Victoria’s roads last year, five fewer than in 2011.
Despite the positive trend, Assistant Commissioner for Road Policing Robert Hill said that Victorians shouldn’t take their minds off road safety for a second.
“While a fifth consecutive record low road toll is something the community should be congratulated for, we can never rest on our laurels and need to strive for no deaths on Victorian roads,” Assistant Commissioner Hill said.
He said the focus is often on younger drivers, with almost 21 per cent of people killed on our roads last year aged between 18 and 24.
The statistics also revealed that 41 people killed on Victorian roads were not wearing seatbelts.
“That is one in five people,” he said. “(It) just baffles me.”
