Latest news with #GlennWeir
Herald Sun
23-05-2025
- Herald Sun
Teens warned against 'entitled' driving trend that could end in jail time
Don't miss out on the headlines from Lifestyle. Followed categories will be added to My News. Victoria Police has issued a new warning to teens who have found a loophole enabling them to get their driver's licence a year earlier than normal. Whilst the minimum age to drive solo everywhere else in Australia is 17, in Victoria it's 18, leading some to find a creative way to get on the road early - though it could earn them jail time, and a few thousand dollars in fines. Want to join the family? Sign up to our Kidspot newsletter for more stories like this. RELATED: Aussie parents concerned over new playground location 'Of course they have the support of their parents' According to Victoria Police, teens in the state are being warned that trying to get your licence early in an unethical and illegal way could end them in some serious hot water. The strategy is that teens with a holiday house or relatives living elsewhere in the country are using that address as their primary address, allowing them to sit their driving test elsewhere and earn their Ps at age 17. And, driving instructor Ollie Azriel added that parents are just as much to blame by letting it happen. "They just tell me, look I'm going to get my licence interstate ... what can I say?" he told 9News. "Of course they have the support of their parents because they're still 17 and just want to get their licence." RELATED: Aussie mum's iconic response to parking fail 'It goes to the sense of entitlement that we see play out' Assistant Commissioner Glenn Weir said that the idea was riddled with entitlement. "It goes to the sense of entitlement that we see play out," he said. "Just because you've got a holiday house in Noosa doesn't mean you can skip the rules." It has also brought up fears that the death toll on Victorian roads would soar, given the increase in immature and inexperienced drivers. "The more mature you are the better you are able to handle experiences on the road," TAC Head of Road Safety Samantha Cockfield said. What's the damage? Victoria Police say at this stage, they don't have substantial evidence of this kind of behaviour. However, they noted to those thinking of doing it that it is a criminal offence to obtain a licence fraudulently, including by providing misleading information. Obtaining a driver's licence by fraudulent means in Victoria can lead to either a hefty fine, or jail time. For those hoping that the rule is going to change, it seems you're out of luck, as Victorian premier Jacinta Allan said the government has no plans to make changes to the driving age. Originally published as Teens warned against 'entitled' driving trend that could end in jail time
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Yahoo
Warning over driver's licence loophole as police 'overwhelmed' by dashcam dobbing
Teenagers are exploiting a legal loophole by travelling interstate to obtain their driver's licence, a move police warn could lead to jail time, as authorities reveal they're being flooded with dashcam footage capturing dangerous driving. Provisional drivers are among the most crash-prone motorists on Australian roads, something the Victorian government says is a major factor in the decision not to allow young people to obtain a P-plate until they're 18 — the highest age in the country for new drivers. But it's now emerged that the state's youth are sneaking interstate, to places like New South Wales, South Australia and Queensland, where the minimum age is 17, to bypass regulations and obtain a licence early. Anecdotal evidence indicates teenagers are using addresses of holiday homes or extended family members in other states to secure their permits. Victoria Police said it hasn't seen direct evidence of the behaviour despite reports in the Herald Sun about private school students bragging about doing so and parents expressing concerns. It's prompted police to warn that fraudulently obtaining a licence, including by providing misleading information, can be a criminal offence. "It goes to the sense of entitlement that we see play out," Assistant Commissioner Glenn Weir told media this week. "Just because you've got a holiday house in Noosa doesn't mean you can skip the rules." It is believed no charges have yet been laid against under-age drivers obtaining their licences interstate. Under Victorian road rules, failing to transfer an interstate licence within six months of becoming a resident is considered unlicensed driving. Offenders can face fines of up to $11,855 and even prison time if prosecuted. A driving instructor of 25 years said he'd heard about numerous instances of teens cheating the system. "They just tell me, look, I'm going to get my licence interstate ... what can I say?" Ollie Azriel told 9News. "They have the support of their parents because they're still 17 and just want to get their licence." While the Nationals have pushed for the state to lower the probationary driving age in Victoria, a 2016 inquiry found doing so could lead to significantly more road deaths and injuries, a worsening problem in Australia as it stands. Every Aussie driver targeted in push to combat $30 billion crisis Older drivers 'exposed' on Aussie roads after major shift Aussie drivers accused of 'selfish' road act amid widespread trend Concerningly, 2024 was crowned the deadliest year on Australian roads in more than a decade, prompting safety experts to urge governments to take stronger action and to call on the public to rethink their attitudes towards road safety. In Victoria the road toll for the year through to May 21, 2025 stood at 118, up 8.3 per cent from the same period last year. Six of the 118 lives lost were people aged between 18 and 20. The financial toll of road trauma has surged to $30 billion annually — a figure expected to continue rising. While authorities in Victoria warn young drivers that licences obtained fraudulently may be cancelled, Crime Stoppers has also revealed a huge surge in dashcam footage being handed in, showing shocking accounts of dangerous driving. One in three reports received by Victoria Crime Stoppers relates to "high-risk" road use, CEO Stella Smith said on Wednesday. She warned that 30 per cent of fatal collisions are caused by speed, with young people remaining overrepresented in road trauma. In Victoria, the minimum age to obtain a learner permit (Ls) is 16 years, while the minimum age to obtain a probationary licence (P1) is 18 years. Peter Frazer OAM, whose daughter was killed by a distracted driver on the Hume Freeway in NSW, told Yahoo News Australia last week a cultural shift on the roads is more critical than ever. He said Australia urgently needs to rethink not only driver behaviour, but also its approach to enforcement, speeding and accountability. "The very first thing that we need to do is to flip everything on its head and start dealing with the reality of risk on our roads," he said. "We've got to have our governments start doing much more active enforcement — police enforcement and also automated enforcement." Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@ You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube.
The Age
13-05-2025
- Automotive
- The Age
An honour to lead – but can Sussan Ley match Julie Bishop?
Road deaths Reading the tragic news of nine deaths in three days on Victorian roads (The Age, 12/5) should be a wake-up call to everyone from drivers to government agencies at all levels and vehicle manufacturers and I share the frustration of Assistant Commissioner Glenn Weir. What can be done? Firstly, there needs to be a complete rethink of driver education and accreditation with consideration that a person who holds a licence must be retested every five years. Furthermore, there needs to be a new licence category for those that choose to drive the large and quite frankly dangerous SUVs imported from overseas. This would require additional training and testing to determine a person's competence in handling these vehicles – no different to a truck or bus driver. Secondly, we need to have a look at the standards in relation to road design and construction, safety infrastructure and signage. The disparity in size between vehicles such as small sedans to B-triple trucks has not, I believe, been factored in in regards to road construction. Next, we need to look at the manufacturers and their advertising of vehicles in the media, as well as other issues such as the design of head and tail lights and use of LED bulbs that can dazzle oncoming drivers at night. Finally, there is the issue of road rules and penalties, which need to be harsher and more punitive in terms of dangerous driving or driving under the influence. Slow down. Take care. Be attentive. Steven Haby, Hughesdale Parking penalty The Age 's report (' Love free parking? Don't get too comfortable ', 12/5) gives a fair overview of the pros and cons of paid parking. I live on the northern edge of the CBD in a purely residential area. Council recently introduced two-hour limits on parking, seven days per week, from 7am to 10pm. This is clearly a money grab and has nothing to do with rationing scarce parking as might be the case in other areas. The area is empty on Sunday afternoons. The cost to residents (who are not eligible for parking permits at all) – a nice weekend lunch with family or friends is a thing of the past. Chris Lloyd, Melbourne Art not appropriate Re the Fitzroy mural (' Fitzroy bondage mural outrages activist group, but its defacing upsets admirers ', 13/5) it depicts a bound and gagged woman in a highly sexualised pose. It is fetish pornography. It is illegal to display such images to children and it should never have been put in a public place. These laws exist to safeguard children. At the same time the work celebrates violence against women and is highly offensive on that account. It is not 'narrow-minded' to maintain public standards of appropriateness of art works. Pornography that celebrates the subjugation of women may be suitable for the bedroom, but it should not be in our streets. Caroline Miley, Heidelberg Forest builders During its recent bat-nudging program several groups, including our own, co-operated with the Royal Botanic Gardens to ensure the welfare of its grey-headed flying foxes, aka 'the bats' (' Bats are back at the Botanic Gardens, and a gentler eviction is afoot to stop them ruling the roost ', 12/5). Unlike 2003, the now well-established Yarra Bend Park camp, is only 10 minutes' flying time and after 22 years of hard volunteer work is well-suited to receive them. Nonetheless, a careful watch was made for late season, pre-flight and dependent-on-mum pups. Happily no young needed to be taken into care. The grey-headed flying fox, a species of mega-bat, has declined by over 95 per cent since 1900. They pollinate over 100 species of native trees and plants including ones made 'rare and endangered' by land clearing. The entire grey-headed flying fox population, with the exception of some old bats and late young, trends north in winter and south in summer, a peripatetic migratory pattern they've maintained, climate depending, for around 4million years. The bats are forest builders with important ecological roles – what's ours? What does our species 'do' for the planet? Across time we believe all Australian botanic gardens will configure themselves to make a space for our deep-indigenous forest-builders. Until then, working consultatively and positively, is the best pathway forward. Lawrence Pope, spokesperson, Friends of Bats & Bushcare Inc. Let them roost The grey-headed flying fox is not an introduced species and has every right to inhabit the Botanic Gardens. Nobody jumps up and down about the possums or magpie swooping season. The argument against the animals that they break the foliage of the introduced trees because they're a bit weighty is flimsy. Greg Bardin, Altona North Deep cinema I have just watched the latest David Attenborough movie Ocean (' Why Andrew Forrest bankrolled David Attenborough's last great project ', 7/12). It should be compulsory viewing. During the movie I felt devastated at times but left the theatre feeling hopeful. This is the power of the 99-year-old Attenborough. To make such an important film and get his positive hope for the future to an audience is an amazing feat. John Williams, Golden Square Fair comparisons It is regrettable that once again schools are being compared on the strength of their median VCE study scores (' Schools boosting their VCE figures ', 13/5). As others have pointed out in the past, ATARs or scaled study scores would provide much more accurate data for this purpose. I'd also question the report's claim that 'Maths and science subjects are usually scaled up, arts subjects are scaled down, and English and business subjects normally remain the same'. In fact, general maths is usually scaled down, English literature usually goes up, and economics went up last year from 30 to 32. As for arts subjects, classical studies and philosophy remained the same last year, as did Australian history and history revolutions, while Australian politics and global politics both went up, and Latin was scaled up more than any other subject, as usual (from 30 to 46). Lindsay Zoch, Mildura Education is critical A disgraceful turn of events that the Victorian government has reduced the funding allocation to our public schools and will not meet the previously agreed Schooling Resource Standard amounts (' Teachers on collision course ', 13/5). As we grapple with our place in a dynamic world situation, education and training become critical investments in our future. That Victoria is now lagging behind the other states in school funding and teachers' salaries is of great concern, particularly as our population continues to grow. Denise Stevens, St Kilda What choice? Several correspondents have expressed shock or dismay at the Victorian government's stripping of billions from school funding. However, it should be no surprise. Victoria has long had the lowest-funded schools in the country. Given Labor's dominance in Victoria for decades, this is a disgrace. The Liberal Party's education spokesperson rails at the situation, but after the Kennett government's treatment of state schools and in light of the party's famed devotion to cutting public expenditure, can anyone seriously believe it would significantly boost education funding? Who should we vote for next year to rescue state schools and justify our claim to be the 'Education State'? A motley bunch of independents and Greens hardly presents as a viable solution. It seems we have Hobson's choice. Mike Smith, Croydon Second chances Your correspondent ('My preferences', Letters, 13/5 ) questions the fairness/logic of someone (Ryan in Kooyong) being elected who did not have a first preference majority. The answer lies in the 23 per cent of voters who voted initially for neither of the front-running two candidates. When asked, 'given that you can't have your first choice, who would you prefer' only 4 per cent preferred Hamer while 18 per cent preferred Ryan. The winner is the most preferred. The alternative (first past the post voting), would see the wishes of the majority of the electorate ignored. Bruce Hawken, Glen Iris Vote for the good guys Those advocating for first past the post voting might consider this scenario. Buddha, Jesus and Satan are the candidates (no offence to those who would have preferred others in the example). Buddha gets 31 per cent of the vote, Jesus 29 per cent and Satan 40 per cent. So 60 per cent of the electors wanted one of the good guys to win but Satan gets in with 40 per cent of the vote. First past the post is a dud system. With a preferential system Jesus and Buddha swap preferences and Buddha gets in. Hoorah for the good guys! Russell MacDonald, Elwood Accept the decision Since the federal election the Nationals and their supporters have restated their opposition to renewable energy infrastructure being developed in regional and rural Australia. This is despite the fact that landholders are paid above-market rates for hosting such infrastructure on their land, often referred to as drought-proofing farming. This also ignores the fact that the pro-renewables pro-climate Albanese government was overwhelmingly re-elected by the greater Australian population. It's untenable that the Nationals can stand in the way of the essential move to a low-carbon economy by stymying renewable energy development. The Nationals and their supporters need to heed the election results, pocket the compensation, get out of the way of renewable energy investment and stop holding the Australian population to ransom. Grant Hull, Ballarat Central AND ANOTHER THING American leaders Yes, 'Pope Leo, not Trump, is now the world's top American' (13/5) but why couldn't the new pope keep his name? I like the sound of Pope Bob. Susan Munday, Bentleigh East Donald Trump will not allow the new, US-born, Pope Leo XIV, to upstage him, internationally, for long. A fallout is inevitable. Apart from the former's Himalayan ego, the 267th Pope's moral values simply do not coalesce with his. Michael Gamble, Belmont Loading Labor They had a massive win and yet the captain makes 11 changes to this winning team? Go figure. Gerry Lonergan, Reservoir Perhaps Mark Dreyfus and Ed Husic should defect to the Liberals. Surely their talents would be recognised there. Brian Marshall, Ashburton Anthony Albanese: ruthless over retaining power. Over climate change, renewable energy, gambling advertising: not so much. Margaret Callinan, Hawthorn The largest ALP caucus since Federation! The Liberals have a men and women problem. Greg Curtin, Nunawading Kooyong Once it was the Colt of Kooyong – Andrew Peacock. Now it's the Cult of Kooyong – Monique Ryan wins. Diana Yallop, Surrey Hills Given that Kooyong came down to such a tight margin, I wonder if Amelia Hamer regrets her decision to not turn up to the two community meetings held in the seat. Christine Hammett, Richmond Liberals I wonder how Julie Bishop is feeling today when she's seen what could have been her opportunity to lead the party? Pam Papadopoulos, South Yarra
The Advertiser
12-05-2025
- The Advertiser
Plea for drivers to stop taking risks as deaths soar
A national road safety campaign and commemorations marking a century of road safety have been overshadowed by a horror Mother's Day road toll. Victoria's road toll soared by 10 over three days of carnage during the Mother's Day weekend. Drivers were taking unacceptable risks leading to accidents and injuries that were preventable, Road Policing Assistant Commissioner Glenn Weir said. "We are seeing the dominant cause of most of the road trauma in Victoria as a single act of non-compliance, something as simple as not stopping at the stop or give way sign, being distracted or speeding," he told reporters on Monday. Mr Weir begged "entitled" motorists to think of others on the road. "Please care for yourselves, care for others, because what happens doesn't just happen for a moment. It stays with you forever," he said. "A moment of inattention or non-compliance ends in a lifetime of trauma. "There's no reverse button here, so people need to realise that non-compliance has consequences." None of the fatalities were believed to be linked to drugs or alcohol, Mr Weir said. The carnage began with a 53-year-old motorcyclist dying after colliding with a car in Moutajup, in southwestern Victoria, on Saturday. Three more deaths occurred on Mother's Day, when a 61-year-old driver died after crashing into a fence at Kurunjang, west of Melbourne, in what police believe was a medical episode. A 49-year-old woman died after a car she was in collided with another in Trafalgar, in the state's West Gippsland region, and a 43-year-old man died when his car hit another vehicle at Pootilla, east of Ballarat. It was a deadly Monday on the state's roads with six fatalities, including a 46-year-old man and 52-year-old woman in a head-on collision in Clayton South about 6am, followed by a 26-year-old man an hour later after he lost control in Swan Hill West in northern Victoria. A 66-year-old pedestrian died after being hit by a car in West Footscray about 8am and two elderly people died about midday after police said a car crossed onto the wrong side of the road on a highway, near Daylesford, and smashed head-on with another car. The deaths come as police forces across the nation mark National Road Safety Week. Police are paying close attention to speed which has contributed to more than 30 road deaths this year in the state. Across the border, authorities were marking 100 years of road safety in the NSW police force as the state experienced more than 130 road deaths in 2025. Police Minister Yasmin Catley blamed driver behaviour, monstrous blood-alcohol readings, excessive speeding and drivers not using seatbelts for NSW's recent spike in road deaths. Safer Australian Roads and Highways president Peter Frazer said there had been a lot of aberrant behaviour, including speeding, and said the onus was on drivers to play their part keeping others safe. "People are becoming more selfish on the roads and highways and we've got to change that," he said. Across Australia, 1284 people were killed on the roads in the 12 months to March 31, marking the worst year-to-March outcome since 2013, according to the Australian Automobile Association. Almost a quarter of all fatal crashes in 2024 occurred in Victoria. A national road safety campaign and commemorations marking a century of road safety have been overshadowed by a horror Mother's Day road toll. Victoria's road toll soared by 10 over three days of carnage during the Mother's Day weekend. Drivers were taking unacceptable risks leading to accidents and injuries that were preventable, Road Policing Assistant Commissioner Glenn Weir said. "We are seeing the dominant cause of most of the road trauma in Victoria as a single act of non-compliance, something as simple as not stopping at the stop or give way sign, being distracted or speeding," he told reporters on Monday. Mr Weir begged "entitled" motorists to think of others on the road. "Please care for yourselves, care for others, because what happens doesn't just happen for a moment. It stays with you forever," he said. "A moment of inattention or non-compliance ends in a lifetime of trauma. "There's no reverse button here, so people need to realise that non-compliance has consequences." None of the fatalities were believed to be linked to drugs or alcohol, Mr Weir said. The carnage began with a 53-year-old motorcyclist dying after colliding with a car in Moutajup, in southwestern Victoria, on Saturday. Three more deaths occurred on Mother's Day, when a 61-year-old driver died after crashing into a fence at Kurunjang, west of Melbourne, in what police believe was a medical episode. A 49-year-old woman died after a car she was in collided with another in Trafalgar, in the state's West Gippsland region, and a 43-year-old man died when his car hit another vehicle at Pootilla, east of Ballarat. It was a deadly Monday on the state's roads with six fatalities, including a 46-year-old man and 52-year-old woman in a head-on collision in Clayton South about 6am, followed by a 26-year-old man an hour later after he lost control in Swan Hill West in northern Victoria. A 66-year-old pedestrian died after being hit by a car in West Footscray about 8am and two elderly people died about midday after police said a car crossed onto the wrong side of the road on a highway, near Daylesford, and smashed head-on with another car. The deaths come as police forces across the nation mark National Road Safety Week. Police are paying close attention to speed which has contributed to more than 30 road deaths this year in the state. Across the border, authorities were marking 100 years of road safety in the NSW police force as the state experienced more than 130 road deaths in 2025. Police Minister Yasmin Catley blamed driver behaviour, monstrous blood-alcohol readings, excessive speeding and drivers not using seatbelts for NSW's recent spike in road deaths. Safer Australian Roads and Highways president Peter Frazer said there had been a lot of aberrant behaviour, including speeding, and said the onus was on drivers to play their part keeping others safe. "People are becoming more selfish on the roads and highways and we've got to change that," he said. Across Australia, 1284 people were killed on the roads in the 12 months to March 31, marking the worst year-to-March outcome since 2013, according to the Australian Automobile Association. Almost a quarter of all fatal crashes in 2024 occurred in Victoria. A national road safety campaign and commemorations marking a century of road safety have been overshadowed by a horror Mother's Day road toll. Victoria's road toll soared by 10 over three days of carnage during the Mother's Day weekend. Drivers were taking unacceptable risks leading to accidents and injuries that were preventable, Road Policing Assistant Commissioner Glenn Weir said. "We are seeing the dominant cause of most of the road trauma in Victoria as a single act of non-compliance, something as simple as not stopping at the stop or give way sign, being distracted or speeding," he told reporters on Monday. Mr Weir begged "entitled" motorists to think of others on the road. "Please care for yourselves, care for others, because what happens doesn't just happen for a moment. It stays with you forever," he said. "A moment of inattention or non-compliance ends in a lifetime of trauma. "There's no reverse button here, so people need to realise that non-compliance has consequences." None of the fatalities were believed to be linked to drugs or alcohol, Mr Weir said. The carnage began with a 53-year-old motorcyclist dying after colliding with a car in Moutajup, in southwestern Victoria, on Saturday. Three more deaths occurred on Mother's Day, when a 61-year-old driver died after crashing into a fence at Kurunjang, west of Melbourne, in what police believe was a medical episode. A 49-year-old woman died after a car she was in collided with another in Trafalgar, in the state's West Gippsland region, and a 43-year-old man died when his car hit another vehicle at Pootilla, east of Ballarat. It was a deadly Monday on the state's roads with six fatalities, including a 46-year-old man and 52-year-old woman in a head-on collision in Clayton South about 6am, followed by a 26-year-old man an hour later after he lost control in Swan Hill West in northern Victoria. A 66-year-old pedestrian died after being hit by a car in West Footscray about 8am and two elderly people died about midday after police said a car crossed onto the wrong side of the road on a highway, near Daylesford, and smashed head-on with another car. The deaths come as police forces across the nation mark National Road Safety Week. Police are paying close attention to speed which has contributed to more than 30 road deaths this year in the state. Across the border, authorities were marking 100 years of road safety in the NSW police force as the state experienced more than 130 road deaths in 2025. Police Minister Yasmin Catley blamed driver behaviour, monstrous blood-alcohol readings, excessive speeding and drivers not using seatbelts for NSW's recent spike in road deaths. Safer Australian Roads and Highways president Peter Frazer said there had been a lot of aberrant behaviour, including speeding, and said the onus was on drivers to play their part keeping others safe. "People are becoming more selfish on the roads and highways and we've got to change that," he said. Across Australia, 1284 people were killed on the roads in the 12 months to March 31, marking the worst year-to-March outcome since 2013, according to the Australian Automobile Association. Almost a quarter of all fatal crashes in 2024 occurred in Victoria. A national road safety campaign and commemorations marking a century of road safety have been overshadowed by a horror Mother's Day road toll. Victoria's road toll soared by 10 over three days of carnage during the Mother's Day weekend. Drivers were taking unacceptable risks leading to accidents and injuries that were preventable, Road Policing Assistant Commissioner Glenn Weir said. "We are seeing the dominant cause of most of the road trauma in Victoria as a single act of non-compliance, something as simple as not stopping at the stop or give way sign, being distracted or speeding," he told reporters on Monday. Mr Weir begged "entitled" motorists to think of others on the road. "Please care for yourselves, care for others, because what happens doesn't just happen for a moment. It stays with you forever," he said. "A moment of inattention or non-compliance ends in a lifetime of trauma. "There's no reverse button here, so people need to realise that non-compliance has consequences." None of the fatalities were believed to be linked to drugs or alcohol, Mr Weir said. The carnage began with a 53-year-old motorcyclist dying after colliding with a car in Moutajup, in southwestern Victoria, on Saturday. Three more deaths occurred on Mother's Day, when a 61-year-old driver died after crashing into a fence at Kurunjang, west of Melbourne, in what police believe was a medical episode. A 49-year-old woman died after a car she was in collided with another in Trafalgar, in the state's West Gippsland region, and a 43-year-old man died when his car hit another vehicle at Pootilla, east of Ballarat. It was a deadly Monday on the state's roads with six fatalities, including a 46-year-old man and 52-year-old woman in a head-on collision in Clayton South about 6am, followed by a 26-year-old man an hour later after he lost control in Swan Hill West in northern Victoria. A 66-year-old pedestrian died after being hit by a car in West Footscray about 8am and two elderly people died about midday after police said a car crossed onto the wrong side of the road on a highway, near Daylesford, and smashed head-on with another car. The deaths come as police forces across the nation mark National Road Safety Week. Police are paying close attention to speed which has contributed to more than 30 road deaths this year in the state. Across the border, authorities were marking 100 years of road safety in the NSW police force as the state experienced more than 130 road deaths in 2025. Police Minister Yasmin Catley blamed driver behaviour, monstrous blood-alcohol readings, excessive speeding and drivers not using seatbelts for NSW's recent spike in road deaths. Safer Australian Roads and Highways president Peter Frazer said there had been a lot of aberrant behaviour, including speeding, and said the onus was on drivers to play their part keeping others safe. "People are becoming more selfish on the roads and highways and we've got to change that," he said. Across Australia, 1284 people were killed on the roads in the 12 months to March 31, marking the worst year-to-March outcome since 2013, according to the Australian Automobile Association. Almost a quarter of all fatal crashes in 2024 occurred in Victoria.
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Yahoo
Plea for drivers to stop taking risks as deaths soar
A national road safety campaign and commemorations marking a century of road safety have been overshadowed by a horror Mother's Day road toll. Victoria's road toll soared by 10 over three days of carnage during the Mother's Day weekend. Drivers were taking unacceptable risks leading to accidents and injuries that were preventable, Road Policing Assistant Commissioner Glenn Weir said. "We are seeing the dominant cause of most of the road trauma in Victoria as a single act of non-compliance, something as simple as not stopping at the stop or give way sign, being distracted or speeding," he told reporters on Monday. Mr Weir begged "entitled" motorists to think of others on the road. "Please care for yourselves, care for others, because what happens doesn't just happen for a moment. It stays with you forever," he said. "A moment of inattention or non-compliance ends in a lifetime of trauma. "There's no reverse button here, so people need to realise that non-compliance has consequences." None of the fatalities were believed to be linked to drugs or alcohol, Mr Weir said. The carnage began with a 53-year-old motorcyclist dying after colliding with a car in Moutajup, in southwestern Victoria, on Saturday. Three more deaths occurred on Mother's Day, when a 61-year-old driver died after crashing into a fence at Kurunjang, west of Melbourne, in what police believe was a medical episode. A 49-year-old woman died after a car she was in collided with another in Trafalgar, in the state's West Gippsland region, and a 43-year-old man died when his car hit another vehicle at Pootilla, east of Ballarat. It was a deadly Monday on the state's roads with six fatalities, including a 46-year-old man and 52-year-old woman in a head-on collision in Clayton South about 6am, followed by a 26-year-old man an hour later after he lost control in Swan Hill West in northern Victoria. A 66-year-old pedestrian died after being hit by a car in West Footscray about 8am and two elderly people died about midday after police said a car crossed onto the wrong side of the road on a highway, near Daylesford, and smashed head-on with another car. The deaths come as police forces across the nation mark National Road Safety Week. Police are paying close attention to speed which has contributed to more than 30 road deaths this year in the state. Across the border, authorities were marking 100 years of road safety in the NSW police force as the state experienced more than 130 road deaths in 2025. Police Minister Yasmin Catley blamed driver behaviour, monstrous blood-alcohol readings, excessive speeding and drivers not using seatbelts for NSW's recent spike in road deaths. Safer Australian Roads and Highways president Peter Frazer said there had been a lot of aberrant behaviour, including speeding, and said the onus was on drivers to play their part keeping others safe. "People are becoming more selfish on the roads and highways and we've got to change that," he said. Across Australia, 1284 people were killed on the roads in the 12 months to March 31, marking the worst year-to-March outcome since 2013, according to the Australian Automobile Association. Almost a quarter of all fatal crashes in 2024 occurred in Victoria.
