Deaths on Melton roads have tripled in the year to June, according to new data, but a Melton policeman says the five-year average reveals a more positive trend for the municipality.
According to the latest figures from the Transport Accident Commission (TAC), nine people died on Melton roads in 2013-14 – up from three for the same period the previous year.
Leading Senior Constable Allan Edwards said the road toll per head of population had decreased drastically in the past couple of decades despite the latest statistics suggesting otherwise.
“We get these figures coming through all the time – looking at the stats over a short-term period,” he said.
“I’m much more inclined to look at figures over a five-year average and see what the trend is. And the long-term trends are positive.”
Leading Senior Constable Edwards said the five-year average of fatalities on Melton roads remained at six, even with the rapid increase in the population from about 30,000 to about 120,000 in the past 20 years.
According to the figures, 10 road users were hospitalised for 14 days or more in Melton last year – half the number hospitalised for the same period in 2012.
There were 73 road users admitted to hospital for less than 14 days.
Leading Senior Constable Edwards said every death was one too many no matter what the figures showed. He said driver “inattentiveness” was the biggest contributing factor to the toll.
Meanwhile, figures for Moorabool show that seven people died on the municipality’s roads in 2013-14 – down by two from the previous 12 months.
A total of 111 road users were hospitalised, with 15 people hospitalised for 14 days or more. Both figures were up from the previous year.
TAC chief executive Janet Dore said it was pleasing to see not only a reduction in the number of fatalities in the Moorabool police area in the past 12 months, but also a 22 per cent overall reduction since 2012.
“While I commend the local community for their effort to reduce road trauma, seven deaths is still too many,” she said.
“Any death or serious injury on Victorian roads is devastating, particularly when it happens on local roads and involves people from local communities.
“Every member of the community needs to take responsibility for the way they use the roads as we move towards our vision of a state where every journey is a safe journey.”
