It’s down to road safety

NO matter which roads you’re travelling on in our beautiful state, there are many reasons to drive carefully.
But for those who drive on our roads in the Yarra Valley and Dandenong Ranges areas, the need to be vigilant is even more vital.
While one could be forgiven for getting swept up in the beautiful surrounding sceneries, it’s important to maintain a steady level of concentration.
Simply, this is because the driving conditions can change in an instant.
You never know what potential hazard is lurking around the countless bends; be it a fallen tree, a dead animal, or a tighter-than-expected curve.
The issue was highlighted this week when a driver had a lucky escape after a crash on the Maroondah Highway at Healesville.
In this case, police said a combination of rain and oil was believed to be behind the crash.
Also making it difficult is the fact many blackspots exist on many of the region’s arterials, which many in our community believe need to be addressed quickly.
While not trying to pinpoint any particular corner, or stretch of road, we need to be mindful that these blackspots do exist.
On this point, it’s disappointing to see the number of drivers who showed disregard for other road users over the Easter weekend.
According to police statistics, there were an incredible 211 speeding offences in the Yarra Ranges alone.
Compare this to the Cardinia area, where there were 77 speeding offences, which is still way too high.
That figure is heartbreaking.
These figures are compounded by the fact there were seven drink-drivers and four drug-drivers caught on Yarra Ranges roads.
Not only are these people breaking the law, they are endangering the lives of other road users.
In our view, no-one has that right.
Stay safe on our roads.