Drivers in the gun

By Melissa Grant
PAKENHAM’S top traffic cop has vowed to wage war on speeding motorists and drink drivers as police aim to cut the carnage on Cardinia’s roads.
Sergeant Nigel Atkins, of Cardinia’s Traffic Management Unit, said one fatality on the shire’s roads was one death too many.
“Our vision is to have a zero road toll, but it’s not up to us, it’s up to the community,” he said.
“Every year it’s the same: Who is going to be put on that toll list? Is it going to be you?”
There were four fatalities recorded in Cardinia Shire last year. And while the number of collisions in Cardinia has dropped, Sgt Atkins said police would be ramping up patrols.
He warned that a number of unique covert vehicles would be introduced in a bid to intercept as many drink drivers and speedsters as possible.
“They’re going to get monstered this year,” Sgt Atkins said.
“If the community think we’re going to ease up they’re wrong.
“There will continue to be a zero tolerance approach taken by the traffic management unit here.”
Sgt Atkins said speeding wasn’t only rampant on the Pakenham Bypass, but also the shire’s feeder and arterial roads.
He said police were fed up with motorists who continued to ignore the safe driving message.
“They have to come to the realisation that if they are exceeding the speed limit and if they hit, they are going to impact harder.”
Last month police intercepted 586 speeding motorists, 25 drink drivers, 17 unlicensed drivers, 50 unregistered vehicles, 66 people not wearing seatbelts and 17 drivers using mobile phones.
Police also charged 15 people for driving unsafe motor vehicles and eight people for running red lights during this period.
Sgt Atkins said a zero road toll in the shire was achievable – provided police had the community’s support.
“Road safety rests with the people who are behind the wheel,” he said.