The Transport Accident Commission (TAC) is taking action with the launch of two safety campaigns, after a tragic start to the year has seen 33 people lose their lives on State roads.
Launching the pair of campaigns, Minister for Roads and Road Safety, Ben Carroll said 13 more fatalities had been counted in the road toll this year than for the same time last year.
“A new hard-hitting Transport Accident Commission campaign highlights the shocking injuries that motorcycle riders could avoid by wearing their safety gear on every ride,” Mr Carroll said.
“It urges Victorian riders to wear protective clothing each time they get on their bike, no matter the distance or speeds travelled, the weather or the destination,” he said.
“TAC research shows contusions, abrasions and lacerations are the second-most common type of injury sustained from on-road motorcycle crashes in Victoria, behind fractured limbs.”
Mr Carroll said some of the most vulnerable road users were motorcyclists, with 10 people having already lost their lives this year – five higher than the five-year average.
The Minister said pedestrian (three) fatalities were also higher than the five-year average.
“To further protect pedestrians near or on roads, TAC has partnered with KidSafe on a new driveway safety community awareness campaign highlighting the dangers that driveways pose for children,” he said.
“The ad encourages parents, carers and the community to take extra care to avoid run-over tragedies.”
Mr Carroll said that, in the past 18 months, at least two children had been killed in low-speed run-over incidents in Victoria.
He said that, every year in Australia, on average seven children aged 0-14 years were killed and 60 were seriously injured due to driveway run-overs and “children under five years of age are at greatest risk”.
