Bendigo Highway Patrol is urging motorists and pedestrians to ensure they are alert on and near roads following two incidents this week that left four people in hospital.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Sergeant Mick McCrann said traffic in central Victoria was reduced by between 20 and 30 per cent while residents isolated in their homes and followed COVID-19 guidelines.
As coronavirus restrictions have eased and people returned to a normal routine, Sergeant McCrann said people were used to a reduced amount of traffic on the road.
"I think it is reasonable to say (complacent driving) needs to be considered as a factor. It's something Victoria Police is looking at," he said. "We had a 20 to 30 per cent reduction in traffic volume, so we are used to an environment with less objects and cars. That is one of our considerations.
"But at the end of the day if you are alert and paying attention and your skills are good, there is no reason to have these collisions. The area we need to focus on is what we do well and that is paying attention.
"The possibility someone can be knocked over and hit their head on the road is realistic."
Sergeant McCrann's comments come after a mother and her two children, aged one and four, were hit by a car while using the crossing at the corner of High and Short streets in Bendigo yesterday.
All three were taken to Bendigo Hospital in a stable condition. The four-year-old toddler was later transferred to the Royal Children's Hospital and was in a serious but stable condition.
On Monday, a 55-year-old woman was taken to The Alfred after being hit by a car in Quarry Hill.
Sergeant McCrann said investigations into both incidents were ongoing but there was an initial focus on the welfare of everyone involved.
"From the emergency workers attending collisions to the families of people injured or involved, we consider everyone at a collision," he said. "We will engage welfare services for emergency services, witnesses and the people involved in the collision and then get to why it occurred."
