Pressure to go faster

By Tania Martin
A MACCLESFIELD wildlife rescuer is terrified of driving in the hills because of speeding motorists and is urging them to slow down.
Tina Hudson-Davies says since moving to Macclesfield eight months ago she has become terrified of driving and feels that she has been forced to speed in an effort to get away from tailgaters.
Mrs Hudson-Davies said one of the hot spots for speeders and tailgaters was on Wellington Road from Emerald to Belgrave.
She said it was especially concerning when she is called out to pick up injured wildlife.
“It’s terrifying when you’re looking for an injured animal on the side of the road and you have someone behind you pressuring you to drive faster,” she said.
Mrs Hudson-Davies said she was beginning to hate driving in the hills but says that driving was an essential part of her job as a wildlife carer.
Since moving to Macclesfield, Mrs Hudson-Davies has also had several speeding fines because she has felt pressured to go faster by tailgate drivers.
“It’s terrible – just awful that I have felt pressured to go faster,” she said.
But Yarra Ranges Traffic Management Unit Acting Sergeant Graeme Rust says that drivers should not feel pressured into speeding.
He said they should drive their car according to the speed limits. If a driver feels threatened by a car behind them then they should use some commonsense and pull over to the side of the road to let the car past, he said.
“The best thing people can do is pull over or turn off at a street to get away from the driver,” he said.
Prior to moving to the hills Mrs Hudson-Davies had an untarnished driving record and is disappointed that she has been caught speeding several times because of tailgaters.
“I was shocked that it was so bad up here (the hills) because I thought driving in suburbia was bad enough but it’s worse up here,” she said.
“Drivers just speed everywhere – they think because it’s a country area they won’t get caught.”
Mrs Hudson-Davies is now terrified of driving and is urging people to slow down.
But despite Mrs Hudson-Davies concerns, police say tailgating is not being reported to them.
Sgt Rust said if tailgating was happening, people were not reporting it.
But Sgt Rust said although there has been no reports it is still a big concern to police.
He said tailgating, impatient drivers and speeding is a volatile mix that could add to the risk of collisions.
Sgt Rust urges all drivers to stay back a safe distance from the car in front of them to prevent rear end collisions.