THERE have already been two road fatalities in the Wellington area in the first two weeks of 2023, and police are urging motorists to take care ahead of the Australia Day public holiday.
Wellington Local Area Commander Inspector, Mel McLennan, is calling on all motorists to be responsible when using the road network.
“Victoria Police are committed to keeping the community safe, and we want the community to commit to keeping themselves and all other road users safe on our roads,” Inspector McLennan said.
“We don’t want to be knocking on any more doors to deliver the sad and horrific news that your loved one has just been killed or seriously injured on the roads.
“During emergency events, we see the best in small communities, rallying together to support each other. A desire to reducing the instances of road trauma should be no different.”
The alert comes after two road fatalities in the Wellington region in the first two weeks of the year.
One was a 25-year-old Sale man who died in a collision near Velore Rd, Kilmany on Thursday January 5.
The second was a female motorcyclist who died after she crashed into a tree on Big Tower Rd, Darriman on Saturday, January 7.
There have already been 14 lives lost on Victorian roads in 2023. For comparison, at the same time last year, there were 12 deaths on Victorian roads.
As the Australia Day public holiday draws near, police are determined to avoid a repeat of these concerning road trauma trends, and are urging motorists to take extra care.
“It doesn’t matter what time of the year we are in, it is devastating for the families and friends that lose their loved ones on our roads. Those families will feel their loss forever more,” Inspector McLennan said.
“We urge our community to drive to the conditions, drive safely, manage your fatigue and put your mobile phone away while driving.
“Police will remain highly visible on the roads, and on the lookout for anyone engaging in high-risk behaviour including speeding and drink or drug driving.”
