While fatalities on Melton roads have dropped significantly in the past three years, serious injury crashes have almost doubled, recent road data reveals.
The Transport Accident Commission’s (TAC) Towards Zero June-quarter statistics reveal there were three fatalities on Melton roads this year, compared with six in the same period last year, and 10 the year before that.
But the number of people hospitalised for more than two weeks as a result of road accidents in the 2015 calendar year was 20, compared with 11 the year before and 10 in 2013.
And the number of overall hospital admissions following crashes on Melton roads was 85 in the 2015 calendar year – compared with 49 in 2014, and 70 in 2013.
TAC road safety manager Liz Waller said the upward trend in serious injuries was worrying because they had a “devastating” impact.
“It’s always welcome to see a reduction in lives lost, but we can never look at a downward trend in Melton and say that’s a good thing – unless the number is zero,” Ms Waller said.
“We have to accept that people will always make mistakes on the roads, but as the cars people drive and the roads we drive on become safer, these mistakes will become less likely to result in death or serious injury.”
More than 6200 Victorians were admitted to hospital following accidents in 2015, a five per cent increase on the previous year.
And the number of people (969) spending more than two weeks in hospital was a 10 per cent increase on the previous year.
Ms Waller said everyone had a responsibility to drive down the road toll and serious injury collisions.
