By Tania Martin
POLICE say excessive speed has been a factor in the Yarra Ranges recording the highest road toll in Victoria for 2006.
The Yarra Ranges recorded 13 fatalities, with many of the accidents involving cars running off the road and hitting trees.
But despite Yarra Ranges recording the highest road toll for the state, the number of fatalities in the area did not increase from 2005.
Yarra Ranges also recorded 13 road deaths in 2005, two more than in 2004.
Acting Sergeant Graeme Rust of Yarra Ranges Traffic Management Unit said most of the fatalities last year were cause by people driving too fast for the road conditions.
“A lot of the accidents have happened because people were driving way too quickly and ran off the road and into trees,” he said.
“A lot of these accidents could have been avoided.”
Five of the 13 road accident deaths occurred in the Yarra Valley, including a double fatality in Lilydale, and single fatalities in Healesville, Gruyere, and Seville.
Sgt Rust said Yarra Ranges TMU would continue to run traffic blitzes on speeding this year.
Yarra Valley fatalities in 2006
6 April
A man was killed when the car he was driving collided with a tree on Beenak Road in Seville.
2 June
A 49-year-old truck man from Bunyip died after the truck he was driving flipped on its side at Gruyere.
26 July
A 33-year-old man and his female passenger died when the Ferrari they were travelling in collided with a tree on Maroondah Highway in Lilydale.
6 August
A 40-year-old motorcyclist died following an accident on Maroondah Highway, east of Healesville.
