The number of lives lost on roads in Victoria, Australia, was down by 35 in 2017 compared with the previous year.
Acting Minister for Roads and Road Safety Phillip Dalidakis joined representatives from the Transport Accident Commission (TAC), VicRoads and Victoria Police to reflect on the latest figures.
“No number of deaths on our roads is acceptable – we will continue to invest in safer roads and educate all Victorians to consider their choices on our roads so they can get home safe to their loved ones,” Dalidakis said. “We all have a role to play when it comes to road safety – I encourage all Victorians to play their part, make the right choices and keep themselves and each other safe.”
A total of 255 people were killed on the roads in 2017. The number of motorcyclists killed on Victorian roads fell by 32% in 2017, following a horror 2016; however motorcyclists continue to be over-represented in the overall number of lives lost. With more than 60% of these deaths involving another vehicle, the TAC is continuing its campaign on shared responsibility in 2018 and focussing on the importance of safe bikes and gear.
The Labor Government is investing $1.1 billion in safer road infrastructure and road policing through its Towards Zero Action Plan, which aims to reduce the number of lives lost on Victorian roads to fewer than 200 and cut the number of serious injuries by 15% by 2020.
The Government will continue to roll out its $340 million program to install life-saving infrastructure such as flexible safety barriers along Victoria’s 20 highest-risk roads. Barriers are expected to reduce the number of head-on and run-off-road crashes by 85%, and have been installed or are currently being installed on 12 roads, with work to continue in 2018.
