Henderson defends stance on international drivers

CORANGAMITE federal member Sarah Henderson has repeated her assertion that unskilled international drivers on the Geelong region’s roads “can be a moving time bomb”, but has rejected a suggestion she is xenophobic.

The MP’s comments came in the wake of the third crash in five days at the intersection of Birregurra-Forest Road and Colac-Lorne Road/Deepdene Road.

Ms Henderson said there had been many other accidents involving international drivers on inland tourist routes to the Great Ocean Road.

“These involve not just tourists but visitors on other temporary visas such as student or work visas who are entitled to drive on Australian roads without any testing or verification of driver skills.”

She conceded that “international drivers did not account for a large percentage of road accidents” – 21 per cent of crashes along the Great Ocean Road between July 2012 and June 2017, according to VicRoads – but that “every single life on our road matters”.

“I am disappointed that the Colac Herald has labelled my efforts to advocate for improved driver safety as xenophobic. This claim is nonsense.

“I have been a very prominent champion of tourism and the Great Ocean Road for many years. But we must do everything possible to ensure that every single person is safe on our roads.

“Whether it be driving on the wrong side of the road, driving through stop signs, dangerous parking, stopping in the middle of the road to take photographs, driving too slowly, not using turnout lanes or crossing double lines, too many international drivers on the Great Ocean Road and in other parts of the country are putting themselves and others at risk.

“When international drivers don’t have the skills or knowledge of road laws to drive on Australian roads, they can be a moving time bomb.”

Last week, the state government announced it was rolling out the Visiting Driver Road Safety Program, but Ms Henderson said this did not go far enough.

“In my view, the conditions on which foreigners on temporary visas can drive on Victorian roads are too lax and should be reviewed.”