By LACHLAN MOORHEAD
NARRE Warren North MP and Roads Minister Luke Donnellan has called for greater pedestrian safety after new data indicated pedestrian deaths in Victoria rose by 22 per cent last year.
Mr Donnellan joined Victoria Police Assistant Commissioner for Road Policing Robert Hill and car accident victim Anthony Bartl last week to stress the safety message ahead of the Australian Open, expected to draw roughly 700,000 pedestrians over two weeks.
Last year 44 pedestrians were killed on Victorian roads, up from 26 in 2013. Of those 44, 73 per cent were men, while 29 per cent were aged 70 or over.
“If you’re on foot, be safe around roads. Every passing car is potentially lethal and no text message is worth your life,” Mr Donnellan said.
“Whether you’re embarking on a long country drive, or just walking up to the shop on a Sunday morning, distractions lead to disaster.”
The rise in pedestrian deaths has seen the Transport Accident Commission extend its ‘distractions’ campaign, leading to a new partnership between the Australian Open and the TAC.
A TAC spokesperson said the campaign focused on the potential for a lapse in concentration caused by mobile phones and music players.
Anthony Bartl, a TAC client, was hit by a car when he was six years old. Anthony sustained a broken spinal cord in the accident and now acts as a passionate TAC advocate.
For more information, visit www.tac.vic.gov.au.
