Our greed for speed

THE VICTORIAN community should be ashamed of the fact that more than 440 speeding offences were detected each day during Victoria Police’s recent Summer Stay operation, according to the TAC.
Police figures released show that during their 52-day operation, 23,050 speeding offences were detected by police, not including offences detected by fixed speed cameras.
TAC Chief Executive Officer, Janet Dore, said it was a disgrace that so many Victorians had ignored warnings and exceeded the speed limit during a busy time on the roads.
“These people should really count themselves lucky that they have only been handed a fine and haven’t killed someone,” Ms Dore said.
TAC research shows that speed is the biggest killer on the roads with about 30 per cent of all fatal collisions having speed as a contributing factor.
Based on last year’s road toll figures, about 90 Victorians died in accidents involving speed.
“To learn that more than 23,000 drivers have put their lives and their passengers’ lives at risk by driving too fast was incredibly disappointing, and something that our community should be ashamed of.
“Reducing road trauma is something our entire community must take responsibility for and until drivers wake up and realise that speed kills, more lives will be lost and more families will be torn apart.”
Ms Dore said it was the TAC’s focus for the future was to make speeding socially unacceptable, and throughout 2012 public education campaigns focusing on speed would continue to be rolled out.
“Statistics tell us that there is a great challenge in making speeding as unacceptable as drink driving.
“But, it’s a challenge we’re up for and we will work harder to create the social change this community desperately needs to further reduce road trauma,” she said.
Ms Dore said she agreed with Deputy Commissioner Kieran Walshe’s sentiments on the reduction of the number of drink-drivers caught, but said there was always room for improvement.
“It’s pleasing that the majority of the community have taken on board the warnings, but road safety is not a part-time job, we all have to own the problem and we all have to do the right thing, all the time.”