The worst start to a year in more than a decade has prompted renewed calls from the Transport Accident Commission (TAC) for Victorians to take care on the roads.
By March 7 this year, 59 people had lost their lives on the state’s roads, compared with 40 at the same time last year. This was the deadliest start to a year since 2006.
TAC Road Safety Lead Director Samantha Cockfield said fatalities on high-speed regional roads and a disproportionate number of motorcyclist deaths were the biggest concerns.
“It’s been a heartbreaking start to the year and our thoughts go out to the families and friends of the people who have died,” Cockfield said. “Last year we saw a significant drop in the number of people that died on our country roads, but only two months on those numbers have dramatically increased.
“Many of these deaths have been the result of a simple mistake, and on a high-speed road, the consequences are often fatal.”
The TAC has issued a call to drivers to “ease up” and make safe decisions when using the roads; avoid fatigue, avoiding drink and drug driving, avoid distractions and slow down.
