New research reveals that most deaths on regional Victorian roads over the past five years involved local residents, showing that the unexpected can happen even on the most familiar roads.
Transport Accident Commission (TAC) analysis of road fatalities from 2020 to 2024 shows that more than 70 per cent of people killed on country roads died within a 30km radius of their home address.
The research follows a tragic start to the year on Victoria’s roads, with 74 lives lost compared with 75 at the same time last year. January this year was the deadliest month on Victoria’s roads since March 2008, and the worst start to a year since 2001.
The majority of fatalities so far this year have also happened on regional roads where there have been 43 lives lost, compared with 31 in metropolitan Melbourne.
In regional areas, road users typically travel longer distances in high-speed zones, and the consequences are more severe if something goes wrong.
Importantly, the new TAC data analysis dispels the myth that people dying in fatal crashes in regional Victoria are predominantly visitors or people unfamiliar with the roads they’re traveling on – just four per cent of deaths were people
travelling from outside of Victoria or Australia.
Around 70 per cent of the regional fatalities analysed happened on high-speed roads, most of which had low traffic volumes and gravel shoulders and involved either a vehicle running off the road or into an oncoming vehicle or crashing at an intersection.
The findings have prompted the TAC to remind drivers to slow down on low-volume, high-speed country roads, come to a complete stop at intersections and ensure they are distraction free – even on roads they know like the ‘back of their hand’.
“The evidence is clear – crashes often happen close to home, on familiar roads that we know like the back our hand,” Transport Accident Commission chief executive officer Tracey Slatter said.
“Our new insights reinforce the need for us all to be aware of risks on local roads, not to be complacent, and to give our undivided attention to driving until we reach our destination safely.
“We can all a play in part in keeping ourselves and others safe on the road by obeying the law, avoiding risky behaviours and being 100 per cent focused very time we get behind the wheel.”
With travel on regional roads set to increase over the coming school holidays and Easter long weekend, the TAC will also be focusing on the dangers of tried driving. The TAC’s fatigue campaign, ‘Driving tired? Wake up to yourself.’, will be running across print, broadcast, digital and outdoor channels throughout the holiday period.
