WHILE motorists are continuing to be turned back due to not carrying snow chains, there aren’t as many as last season.
Senior Sergeant Doug Incoll of Bright police said more than 2000 motorists had been turned back up until early August, which was a 40 per cent improvement on last year’s numbers.
Checkpoints at Harrietville and the Mother Johnson picnic area between Hotham and Dinner Plain have been monitoring requirements.
“About 90 per cent of those being turned around are from the Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) community,” he said.
“I’ve done a lot of work in preparation this year to get the reminder out about chains and we’re seeing that reflected in the reduced numbers.
“Obviously we’ve still got a ways to go but it’s good to acknowledge the improvement and those doing the right thing.
“Last year we saw a total of 5700 vehicles turned around at the end of the season so it’s looking like we’ll improve on that number this year, though there’s still eight weeks to go in this season.”
Sen Sgt Incoll said visitation changes at Mount Hotham may have also affected this.
“It’s been a little unprecedented in Mount Hotham as it used to be a destination for skiers but post-COVID many are day trippers who arrive unprepared without chains,” he said.
“It’s a recipe for disaster, we’ve already had a family who ended up 250m over the edge which resulted in a multi-agency rescue and road closure, who didn’t have chains.
“It’s so important that everyone carries chains; the underlying reason is safety of the public.
“We’ve issued a number of fines this year as it is a legal requirement on the Great Alpine Road, and it’s certainly a safety issue on Mount Hotham as well.”
Despite the recent warmer weather, Sen Sgt Incoll reminded everyone to continue to carry chains while travelling.
“No matter how the weather presents itself, it can snow at any time of the year up there so don’t be remiss with chains,” he said.
“We want people to enjoy the experience of the resorts so abiding by those requirements is for visitors to get there safely.
“Be patient on the roads, don’t take unnecessary risks while driving and take your time,”
According to VicRoads, a person in charge of a vehicle who enters an alpine resort must at all times during the snow season, carry wheel chains suitable to be properly fitted to that vehicle.
