By DANIELLE MEILAK
SERIOUS injuries from road trauma may have increased across Victoria but they’re on the decline in Hobsons Bay according to the latest road safety statistics from the Transport Accident Commission (TAC).
Serious injuries are defined as TAC claims where a patient was admitted to hospital up to seven days after an accident.
While fatalities and serious injuries have dropped in the long term, serious injuries have risen over the last three years, with a six per cent rise in the 12 months to October 2011.
More than 5700 serious injuries were recorded in the period compared to just over 5400 in the previous year, with a 16 per cent increase in the 21 to 25 year old age group and a 14 per cent increase in the 60 to 69 year old category.
There were 49 serious injuries in Hobsons Bay in the same period, down from 65 in 2010 and 58 in 2009, with one fatality in the 12 months to this April.
Hobsons Bay Inspector Bill Mathers said the decrease in serious injuries was great news for the people of Hobsons Bay.
“Not only does it mean less people seriously injured it means that family, friends and all those associated with people that are injured can go about their lives in a normal manner,” he said.
“The impact of serious injury collisions is not just on the person injured, it impacts on all those around them.”
Insp Mathers said he was disappointed that the number of fatalities wasn’t zero.
“Statistically it’s low but one death has a huge impact for us,” he said.
“We’re focusing a lot of our resources on addressing hoon driving as we’re still astounded by some of the accidents on our roads.
“We’ll continue to enforce this and we’re also looking at how we can work with the community to make our roads safer.”
TAC Chief Executive Officer Janet Dore said it was up to the entire community to take responsibility in helping to reduce the road toll.
“These latest figures are a reminder that the road toll is not only about the tragic deaths, but also the thousands of people who are seriously injured on our roads each year,” she said.
Casey had the highest number of serious injuries with 244 followed by Geelong with 231, Melbourne with 226, Greater Dandenong with 216 and the Yarra Ranges with 199.
In the 12 months to this April, Geelong had the largest number of fatalities with 14 followed by Brimbank, Cardinia, Moorabool and Wangaratta which all had 12 road deaths.
