Tasmania will have one of Australia's highest ratios of traffic police as the force works to bring down what now-retired commissioner Darren Hine recently described as a devastating road toll.
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The state's 2022 road toll stood at 49 deaths at the time of writing on Friday afternoon.
"Tragically, in this reporting year, we have seen a devastating number of serious and fatal crashes on our roads,' Mr Hine said in the Department of Police, Fire and Emergency Management's 2021-22 annual report.
He said police were committed to improving road safety and changing driver behaviour.
That had led to a review of the traffic policing model.
"The new Road Policing Services model comprises a brand new highway patrol and 68 police officers solely dedicated to road policing across Tasmania," Mr Hine said.
"Launching in July 2022, the new model will improve our ability to undertake intelligence-led road safety operations across the state and means Tasmania will have one of the highest ratios of traffic police in Australia."
He urged people to recognise road safety was a shared responsibility.
" ... we need all motorists to play their part by making the right choices each and every time they are on our roads, so we can all get home safely," he said.
Mr Hine was an officer for 42 years and commissioner for 14.
He was replaced by experienced officer Donna Adams.
The annual report showed Tasmania's North-West had the highest ratio of officers to population, with 2.28 police positions per 1000 people in the police Western District.
The Northern District had the lowest ratio (1.84), with the Southern District on 1.85.
During the financial year, the report said, traffic policing statistics included:
- 29,588 high-risk traffic offenders;
- 34,451 speeding offenders;
- 113,780 random breath tests;
- 3786 drink and drug driving offenders;
- 4004 oral fluid tests (for drugs); and
- 249 serious and fatal crashes.
Sean Ford
The Advocate Newspaper, Tasmania. Business, economics, politics, crime.
The Advocate Newspaper, Tasmania. Business, economics, politics, crime.
