The majority of deaths on regional Victorian roads last year were local people, according to latest data.
Analysis of the 2019 lives lost statistics has revealed around 73 percent of the 146 deaths were people driving in their local region with run-off-road and head-on crashes resulting in 94 fatalities, while 101 people were killed in high-speed zones.
“There’s a misconception that crashes happen on country roads because the driver isn’t familiar with the area – but the tragic reality that in most cases, it’s local people dying on roads near their home,” said Head of Road Safety Victoria, Robyn Seymour.
Road Safety Victoria has teamed up with the TAC and the Acting Minister for Roads, Road Safety and the TAC Jacinta Allan to urge regional Victorians to take extra care on their roads.
The Victorian Government is investing in road safety infrastructure with more than 340 kilometres of safety barriers being rolled out in addition to the 2,300 kilometres already installed on high-risk roads, to help prevent head-on and run-off road crashes.
The total number of crashes resulting in deaths and serious injuries on roads with safety barriers has almost halved since works began. During 2019, barriers across the state were hit 3,307 times – representing thousands of potential serious or fatal crashes avoided.
An additional 1,600 kilometres of rumble strip line-marking will also be rolled out across the state to alert drivers if they veer out of their lane and 117 rural intersections will be made safer with improvements including rumble strips and signage, and more Side Road Activated Speed technology will be installed at the highest-risk sites.
