POLICE are appealing to road users to take extra care after a terrible 12 months on Victoria’s roads in 2023 with 297 lives lost, up from 240 in 2023, that’s an increase of 23.8 per cent, and almost 70 more than the five-year average.
In the Southern Grampians Shire, six people died in 2023 - four of whom were under the age of 25, one was a female aged in her thirties, while another was a male in his forties.
Roads and Road Safety minister, Melissa Horne, acknowledged the families, friends and communities impacted by road trauma in 2023.
Road safety is a shared responsibility, and whether driving, riding, or crossing the road, this new year Victorians are reminded to make safe choices on every journey – slow down, put the phone away, pay attention, wear a seat belt, and don’t drive after drinking or taking drugs.
With fatigue a major contributor to road trauma, people travelling long distances over the holiday
period are being urged to get a good night’s sleep before driving, allow plenty of travel time, drive
to the conditions, remove distractions, and take regular breaks.
Driver Reviver Australia will have 21 sites set up across Victoria throughout summer, supported by VICSES and Lions club volunteers providing the ideal location for drivers to take a break, have a free cup of coffee or tea and stretch their legs, before continuing their journey Data shows that lower-level drink driving and
speeding, failing to obey road signs and distraction accounted for more than half of fatalities on state
roads in 2023.
As the year came to a close, road safety authorities were particularly concerned with the significant
increase in driver and passenger fatalities, which rose to 189 in 2023, compared with 126 at the same time in 2022.
Drivers are also being urged to drive to the weather conditions especially in parts of Victoria that have experienced flooding.
While recent rainfall has eased across areas under a flood watch, parts of the state may continue to experience minor flood levels or flooding events.
The Transport Accident Commission is also changing the way it records the number of people killed and changing the tally from ‘road toll’ to ‘lives lost’.
They said the wording ‘road toll’ has the effect of dehumanising road trauma.
The problem with talking about ‘road toll’ is that it implies that road trauma is an acceptable cost of
having roads.
A toll is the price we pay for using something with toll roads, for example, it’s a few dollars.
By reducing people’s lives to a number, it makes it easier for the community to feel distanced from
the issue.
These are not just numbers, they are people - someone’s child, mother, father, sister, brother,
friend or colleague.
Victorians should keep up to date with the latest advice on the VicEmergency app and check
VicTraffic before travelling for updates on road closures, hazards, and to consider alternate routes.