National Road Safety Week: Superintendent John Fitzpatrick

With four and a half years in the Road Policing Command and 42 years in the force under his belt, Superintendent John Fitzpatrick remains committed to ensuring Victorian roads only become safer.

“[Road policing] is one of those areas where you can really make a difference, you can actually stop people dying on the roads”

A vital part of enabling them to do this is protecting their wellbeing. Like many other areas of policing, members of our Road Policing Command are often exposed to serious and confronting scenes, making proactive engagement with their wellbeing a necessary part of their ‘business as usual'.

From regular safety briefings to a psychology unit embedded into the Major Collision Unit, Superintendent Fitzpatrick says that understanding the people and how they are traveling is a vital, and constantly evolving, part of the job.

“Historically, we have seen some things that we could do better, and we are working towards incorporating these into a business-as-usual model in an effort to normalise seeking help”

Approaching staff wellbeing is not the only part of the job which has changed over his time in Victoria Police. While road safety has always been a priority for Victoria Police, the way it is approached has continued to diversify.

One example is the move away from heavy enforcement, into a model with a regulatory focus that engages with companies to ensure they can comply with regulatory laws. In the future, Superintendent Fitzpatrick hopes that this includes partnerships with companies such as car manufacturers to see high-level safety features included on base models, rather than as a costly extra.

Superintendent Fitzpatrick hopes that these changes will continue to lead the way for safer Victorian roads with a view to significantly reducing lives lost, and serious injuries caused by road collisions. The many members he works with doing a fantastic job making our roads as safe as they can, but every Victorian has a role in making them safer. This National Road Safety Week, we are asking all motorists to pledge to drive so others survive.

Remember, whether you are a truck driver, pedestrian, cyclist, or drive a regular old hatchback, we all have a part to play in looking out for each other and keeping everyone safe.?

Get tips on staying safe on our roads this National Road Safety Week: https://www.police.vic.gov.au/road-safety-0??