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A RETURN OF GM CLASSICS AFTER a two year hiatus due to COVID-19 restrictions, the All GM Day motor show is headed back to Wangaratta’s Apex Park next month. Looking forward to seeing early Holdens back on show, such as these 1958 FC Special, 1934 Chev Master, and 1972 HQ Belmont, are (from left) deputy mayor Harry Bussell, Geoff Hope, Christine Hilli and Brian Wadley. Full story page 2 PHOTO: Kurt Hickling
Fatal concerns
Police and local road safetyy authorityy urging g g care amid big g rise in rural road deaths
DISTRACTION iis jjustt one of a number of driving behaviours contributing to road safety concerns according to local authorities, with around two thirds of the state’s 49 deaths so far this year occurring in regional Victoria. Some 32 lives have been lost (to February 13) on rural roadways, with a striking majority occurring in high-speed areas with
BY RYAN MALCOLM rmalcolm@ nemedia.com.au
speed limits between 80 and 110kph. Police Eastern Region division 4 traffic advisor, Senior Sergeant Mick Savage, said the local region’s two fatal collisions, at Yalca and Lilliput,
were each h preventable t bl had drivers maintained awareness of the road conditions. “This (Lilliput) collision involved a vehicle and a cyclist both travelling the same direction and the cyclist was struck by the vehicle causing him to be thrown from his bike and (he) unfortunately died at the scene,” he said. “This was a collision that
and did nott need d to t happen h d should not have happened - it is a strong reminder to not be distracted, drive to the conditions and be aware of upcoming hazards and other road users.” Speaking on road behaviour in general, RoadSafe North East (RSNE) chief executive, John Weinert, said driver aggression had seemingly increased since COVID-19
restrictions were removed. t i ti d “I’m on the road a fair bit, and the aggression that I see on the road nowadays compared to three or four years ago, is over the top - if I sit on the road and drive along at 100kph in cruise control, I’ll be the slowest car on the road,” he said. “That’s the stuff that’s happened since COVID we’re all in a hurry to get from point a to point b, and
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we also be more l seem tto b angry, and therefore taking that aggression out while we’re driving.” Mr Weinert said police had expressed concerns around aggressive driving throughout the North East and Goulburn Valley regions, and said conveying important road safety messages had become even more challenging in recent times. ■ Continued page 3