The Andrews Labor Government and its VicRoads Department warns against driving while drowsy, but expects Victorians returning from Queensland to do the 15-hour journey in 24 hours under its unrealistic permit system for returning travellers.
Gippsland East Nationals MP, Tim Bull said it was impossible for people to take a break every two hours as the Government encourages - and get home within 24 hours.
The VicRoads website carries the following messages:
• Driver fatigue contributes to more than 20% of road crashes in Victoria
• When you are starting to become tired you can't concentrate properly on your driving and so you can't respond as quickly and safely as you should.
• Remember that once you are fatigued the only cure is sleep! Take a break every 2 hours.
• Be aware of your biological clock, namely that you are at an increased accident risk when driving when you normally sleep.
• Until you catch up on sleep, you have a greater risk of having a fatigue related crash.
• The danger for fatigued drivers is that during a microsleep a driver does not react to a hazardous situation.
Mr Bull said this week he had received multiple cases of East Gippslanders in Goondiwindi, right on the Qld/NSW border, wanting to get home, who cannot do it safely within 24 hours.
“They are happy to abide by all the rules, quarantine if they need to, but they’re not going to risk their lives. The fact the Government is forcing those who must return home for medical reasons to do this, is putting lives at risk.
“One person from Stratford, who has just done it, said was 16 hours with a caravan and having taken the risk of doing it, were not stopped at either border and said they would never try it again.
“Another couple from Paynesville, among those at Goondiwindi, cannot do it as only one of the couple drives, so they are bailed up there because of this unrealistic rule.”
Mr Bull said the criteria, at the very least should be changed to 36 hours to provide for a decent night of sleep between two long days of driving, but 48 hours would be preferable.
“It reeks of some bureaucrat working off google maps and not realising what it is like in the real world.”
Photo: Victroia Travel Permit System, Travel Map, Covonavirus.vic.gov.au, Victorian Government as at 08 Aug 2021
Sunday, 8 August 2021
