A DRIVING instructor is concerned the alarming rate of collisions in Echuca will worsen unless motorists pay more attention to the road instead of themselves.
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Her comments come after Echuca reached 12 collisions in little more than a month; most crashes the result of inattention.
The latest was early Friday when an 18-year woman ploughed into a concrete power pole on Crofton St. She has been charged with careless driving.
Owner of RAZ Driving School Rose-Anne Mulholland said this wasn’t surprising, considering she had seen four near-misses within two hours last week.
“In all of them, motorists were forced to brake heavily to avoid a crash,” she said.
“They could have got someone killed.”
Ms Mulholland saw a motorist driving straight ahead at the intersection of Hare and Heygarth streets despite it being a left turn only lane; a motorist driving through a red light while the opposite drivers were turning right; and a motorbike turning right from a left turn only lane at the traffic lights.
“The motorbike came down the right side of the right turning lane and pulled in front of my car, then turned straight into the left lane as the light turned green, forcing us all to brake to avoid a collision,” she said.
“I also saw a pedestrian run out from between trees across Ogilvie Ave during peak traffic time, forcing traffic to brake heavily.
“All of this was in one day and these were only the major incidents.
“There are many more incidents I witness daily. I spent five minutes counting cars at the stop sign at the end of Hare St and out of 30 cars, only three came to a complete stop.”
In the 15 years she has been a driving instructor across Campaspe Shire, Ms Mulholland has seen her fair share of stupid drivers.
“The worst I saw was a mother breastfeeding her baby while driving just outside of Kyabram,” she said.
“She was wavering all over the road. I couldn't believe what I was seeing at the time.”
Ms Mulholland said the biggest problems she saw on the roads were impatience and inattention.
“There is a lot of anger on the roads and no-one has any patience anymore. They all have to be first,” she said.
“I’m regularly tailgated and have drivers overtake me and then brake hard in front of me. I’ve had people try to force me sideways while I’m with a learner driver to try to intimidate them.
“It’s very scary for learner drivers to have this happen and to have other drivers tooting their horns at them when they are in the right.”
Ms Mulholland said there was also an overwhelming lack of concentration among drivers.
“I constantly see people on their phones, texting or talking. Just the other day, I saw the driver of a B-double truck on his phone,” she said.
“Drivers need to be concentrating on the job at hand, not reading texts, messaging, eating or doing their make-up or hair.”
And the worst culprits are middle-aged and older drivers, according to Ms Mulholland.
“Parents are then teaching their children bad habits,” she said.
She recommended learner drivers register for the Keys 2 Drive program - a free 60-minute lesson provided by an accredited driving instructor - and Victorian schools to sign up for Road Smart - a free road safety education program that helps beginner drivers build safe driving skills and behaviours.
“Very few parents are taking up this opportunity,” she said.
“This will help teach kids and set up good driving habits for the future.”
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