214 people have tragically lost their lives on Victorian roads this year.
That’s more deaths already in 2019 than the entirety of 2018, and we still have 11 weeks remaining in 2019.
This is a tragic milestone that has devastated far too many Victorian families.
Each and every one of those 214 lives lost are a mother, father, sister or brother who won’t walk back through the door home, leaving behind grieving family and friends.
The death toll on rural and regional roads so far in 2019 has also exceeded last year’s total – with 119 killed already this year compared to 109 for all of 2018.
Since May the only thing the Andrews Labor Government has done about this road safety crisis is to hold community forums and announce a review into weak drug driving laws with no firm timeline for action.
The State Budget details the savage cuts that Daniel Andrews has made to road safety in Victoria, including:
- Cutting the number of alcohol screening tests conducted by 400,000 tests;
- Cutting regional road maintenance for Victoria’s major local roads including non-arterial state roads, minor roads and local regional roads; and
- Cutting $47.2 million from the existing Road Safety Strategy 2013-2022 over the past year;
The message from the public at those forums has been clear – fix the roads, increase the road police presence and improve driver training and education.
Daniel Andrews and Labor must immediately explain what real action they are going to take to address this tragic road safety crisis on Victoria’s roads.
