Talking and texting … the message is clear! 58097
By Kath Gannaway
IF EXPOSURE and experience could provide the answers to how we can stop people dying on Yarra Ranges roads, Senior Constable Ron Veldman of Yarra Ranges Highway Patrol would have them.
He doesn’t.
After 45 years in the police force, most of them on the roads as part of traffic enforcement, his response to the question is “If I only knew”.
“You just try to chip away at it,” he says but education is high on his list of the chipping tools.
Engineering – safer cars, and enforcement – starting with teaching kids young that the law is the law and it applies to them – ie bike helmets, are also in the tool box.
“No individual thing is going to do it, but I do believe we are moving the right way,” he says.
“Education is a big thing and I believe it should start in schools. The trouble is that the time or money is just not there for a lot of schools.”
His advice to parents is to teach your kids the basics, but combine it with professional lessons.
“The kids have to go out and drive, they have to get the hours up, but all a lot of parents are doing is passing on their own bad habits, so they need to combine it with professional instruction.”
Another tool which has had an impact is impounding, but Sen Const Veldman believes toughening up the legislation will really hit home.
“Impounding is working. It takes their wheels away, but 48 hours is becoming a bit of a status symbol and seven days might hurt a bit more. It takes their mobility away in a significant way,” he said.
If the legislation allows up to a fortnight, as is anticipated in June next year, and which could also apply to drink driving over a certain reading, that would hurt, perhaps enough to make a difference.
The ‘hoon’ title doesn’t always paint an accurate story either.
“We have had 60-year-olds doing the ‘hoon thing’, it’s not always the case, he says. Concentration – or the lack of it, is a major factor.
“The biggest thing in driving is that it should be the one and only thing you should be concentrating on. If you have other things on your mind you’re not going to be able to drive safely as well.”
He acknowledges that can be hard at times with kids in the back seat, health matters, personal problems, thinking about Christmas presents … all the things that bring driving and life together these days.
One thing people do have control over is their mobile phone and his advice is not negotiable – turn it off!
Again, it’s not just ‘kids’ who can’t resist a ringing phone.
“Don’t answer text messages – nothing is that important that you have to kill yourself for someone else answering the phone,” he said.
Parents need to be there; and kids need to know they can call them, at any time, if they get into a situation where they shouldn’t be driving, or shouldn’t be a passenger.
While there are cars on the road, Sen Const Veldman says there will be crashes.
It’s about controlling the factors that can be controlled.
