$22.2 million boost to help cut road toll by 30 per cent by 2017

A $22.2 million road safety package in the 2009 State Budget will help the Brumby Labor Government achieve its aim to reduce the road toll by 30 per cent by end of 2017, the Minister for Roads and Ports, Tim Pallas, said today.

Mr Pallas said road safety initiatives in the 2009 State Budget highlighted the Brumby Government’s commitment to making the right investments to keep Victorian families safe.

“Road trauma rips families apart. Losing a loved one or being seriously injured on our roads is a terrible cost for any Victorian person and family,” Mr Pallas said.

“The Brumby Labor Government will build on its proud record on saving lives on Victorian roads.

“Last year our Government announced a goal to reduce the road toll by a further 30 per cent by 2017, under arrive alive, because we want to reduce the number of Victorian families torn apart by road trauma.”

Mr Pallas said the 2009 State Budget road safety package included:

• installing Moving Mode Radar units in 200 police vehicles;
• extending tough vehicle impoundment laws to cover extreme speeding and repeat drink and drug driving;
• administering a further 20,000 drug driving tests per year;
• upgrade of enforcement technology; and
• increasing the number of hours of mobile camera operations by 3000 per month and the upgrade of 53 wet film camera intersections to digital speed and red light capacity.

The Minister for Police and Emergency Services, Bob Cameron, said the road safety funding boost would give police access to the latest in speed, drink and drug detection devices to save lives.

Mr Cameron said the $1.8 million program to install Moving Mode Radar units into police cars would allow police to monitor traffic speeds while patrolling.

“Deaths on rural and regional roads tragically represent more than half of Victoria’s annual road toll,” Mr Cameron said.

“These Moving Mode Radar units give police the ability to detect speeding drivers travelling in the opposite direction on undivided roads primarily in regional Victoria.”

Mr Cameron said a second tier of the existing anti-hoon regime would also be introduced.

“Currently, first-time offenders caught speeding more than 45 kilometres per hour over the speed limit can have their vehicles impounded for 48 hours,” Mr Cameron said.

“Under new laws, first-time offenders caught speeding at 70 kilometres per hour or more above the speed limit will have their vehicle immediately impounded for three months.”

Mr Cameron said new laws would also target repeat drink, drug and unauthorised drivers.

“Drivers who speed excessively, repeatedly drive under the influence of alcohol or drugs, or drive while disqualified will now face having their vehicle impounded,” Mr Cameron said.

“Unfortunately a significant number of motorists continue to drive under the influence of drugs or alcohol or while suspended from driving. Courts will now have an option to impound vehicles for up to three months for repeat hoon offenders.”

Mr Cameron said funding of $10 million would go towards replacing drug-testing devices, allowing for an additional 20,000 drug tests on Victorian roads each year; and funding of $10.4 million would be delivered to upgrade road safety enforcement technology.

The new technology will include:

• 53 hand held laser speed measuring devices and 87 mobile radar speed measuring devices;
• 1500 screening breath testing units and 270 evidentiary breath testing units; and
• three major collision scene total survey stations.

This funding comes on top of the $650 million the Brumby Labor Government will be investing in road safety projects over 10 years to reduce Victoria’s record low road toll, as part of its arrive alive strategy.