The vast majority of people killed on regional Victorian roads are locals to the area, according to new research from the Transport Accident Commission (TAC).
Commenting on the findings, Minister for Roads and Road Safety, Ben Carroll said the Commission’s data showed that last year about 80 per cent of people killed on regional State roads died within 30 kilometres of their home.
“In comparison, over the previous three years (2017-2019) about 65 per cent of regional deaths were people who died within a 30km radius of home,” Mr Carroll said.
“The statistics dispel the myth that people dying in fatal crashes in regional Victoria are predominantly visitors or people unfamiliar with the roads they’re travelling on,” he said.
“TAC research also shows that country drivers are significantly more likely to speed on 100km/h regional roads than metro drivers, increasing their risk of death or serious injury in a crash.”
The Minister said deaths on regional roads accounted for 60 per cent of fatal crashes in Victoria last year and people who lived in country areas were consistently overrepresented in road deaths every year.
“While there has been a reduction in the number of lives lost in rural areas so far this year, tragically 81 people have still died on regional roads,” he said.
“Across the whole State, 169 people have been killed, compared with 155 at the same time last year,” Mr Carroll said.
