Finding into death of Jason Devon Trevin Pinto Jayawardena
Deceased
Jason Devon Trevin Pinto Jayawardena
Demographics
18y, male
Date of death
2018-08-21
Finding date
2020-09-14
Cause of death
Multiple injuries sustained in a motor vehicle incident (driver)
AI-generated summary
Jason Pinto Jayawardena, an 18-year-old provisional plate driver, died in a single-vehicle motor accident on a rural road when he lost control navigating a sweeping bend at excessive speed. He was driving a 2001 Holden Commodore—a second-hand vehicle he had owned for only three weeks, his first rear-wheel-drive car. The coroner found he lacked experience with rear-drive vehicles and was unfamiliar with the Holden. Key safety deficiencies included the vehicle lacking electronic stability control (ESC), which European data suggests could have prevented approximately 40% of single-vehicle crashes. The coroner emphasised the heightened risk young, newly-licensed drivers assume when purchasing older second-hand vehicles without modern safety features, and recommended improved road signage and speed limit reduction on the hazardous bend.
AI-generated summary and tagging — may contain inaccuracies; refer to original finding for legal purposes.
Contributing factors
- Excessive speed while navigating sweeping bend
- Inexperience with rear-wheel-drive vehicles
- Unfamiliarity with the recently purchased vehicle
- Newly licensed provisional plate driver
- Vehicle lacking electronic stability control
- Vehicle lacking side curtain airbags
- Limited experience in rear-drive vehicles
Coroner's recommendations
- Cardinia Shire Council erect signage in both directions of Bessie Creek Road, Nar Nar Goon North advising of the upcoming sweeping bend and mandating a reduction in speed
- Cardinia Shire Council review statistical data associated with this stretch of road and consider reducing the speed limit along the length of Bessie Creek Road, Nar Nar Goon North from 100 km/h to 80 km/h
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