Second successive rise in lives lost a cause for concern

01 Jan 2016

The amount of lives lost on Victorian roads has risen for a second successive year, this time from 249 to 252.

TAC acting chief executive Tony Dudley said the figure highlighted the challenges that lay ahead in the state's journey towards zero road deaths and serious injuries.

"Every life lost in road crashes is a tragedy. To lose 252 people last year is both devastating and unacceptable," Mr Dudley said.

"But road trauma is not just limited to those who are killed. We must not forget that around 5000 people are seriously injured on our roads each year as well.

"Victoria's long-term goal is to cut road deaths and serious injuries to zero. To get there, we need the community to join us in embracing road safety as a shared responsibility."

Some trends that emerged from 2015 were:

• Morecyclists lost their lives (10) in 2015, up from the five deaths in 2014 and 10-year average of eight.

• There was a sharp fall in pedestrian deaths, with 32 lives lost compared to 44 in 2014, the lowest since the TAC scheme began in 1987.

• A significant reduction in the deaths of young people aged 21 to 25, from 31 lives lost in 2014 to 18 in 2014

• 30 motorcyclists lost their lives on the roads in both 2014 and 2015

Mr Dudley said while some improvements were heartening, no one should be satisfied until every column is marked with a zero.

"The TAC and our road safety partners have stopped using the term 'road toll' as it implies these lives are a price we have to pay for having a road system - that is simply not the case," Mr Dudley said.

"Victoria Police, VicRoads and the TAC are stepping up their efforts, and we ask the community to share that responsibility with us. Let's do everything we can to make 2016 a safe one."