Source: Herald Sun
TAC chief executive Janet Dore says reducing serious injuries is one of the main goals of a 10-year strategy. Source: Supplied
A RECORD $1 billion in compensation was paid to victims of road accidents in Victoria last year.
The ballooning cost - a total of $4.6 billion in the past five years - has prompted the TAC to overhaul its road safety strategies.
New measures will be put in place in a desperate bid to curb the number of serious and costly injuries - and "shock and awe" messages are on the agenda.
Compensation increased by about 30 per cent between 2007 and 2012, from $775.3 million to $1 billion.
Over the last five years, drivers have received $1.36 billion, followed by passengers ($766 million), motorcyclists ($710 million) and cyclists ($558 million).
Among those to get payments last year were:
A 19-YEAR-OLD man who fell off his trail bike and suffered a brain injury and significant arm injuries.
A MAN in his 30s paralysed in a car crash. His pregnant wife had their daughter while he was in hospital.
A 42-YEAR-OLD cyclist hit by a tram in St Kilda, suffering brain injury and broken bones.
A MAN in his 30s had part of his skull removed after being hit by a tram in the CBD.
A 32-YEAR-OLD woman who suffered brain injury and vision impairment after crashing on a rural highway.
While average lifetime care costs $31,700, about $5.5 million has been paid to those who became quadriplegics.
As part of the drastic overhaul, Victoria is developing a severe injury category that will help distinguish, for example, between broken bones and brain injuries. TAC chief executive Janet Dore said reducing serious injuries was one of the main goals of a 10-year strategy.
She said in the past 25 years, the road toll had dropped by 60 per cent but serious injuries had only fallen 45 per cent.
"As these costs continue to rise, it's important we focus on keeping the TAC scheme viable, as many of these people will need long-term, sometimes lifetime support," Ms Dore said.
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