Victorian motorists are being urged to drive safely around trams as the number of serious vehicle-to-tram collisions are rising across the city of Melbourne.
Issuing the warning the Minister for Public Transport, Ben Carroll said several trams had been taken off their tracks to undergo major repair works following a collision with a vehicle.
“There were 960 vehicle-to-tram collisions recorded in 2022, with 166 of them classified as serious,” Mr Carroll said.
“It’s a jump of 60 per cent on the previous year, equating to an average of almost three collisions a day,” he said.
“In January this year, there were 10 vehicle-to-tram collisions in one day, prompting a call for motorists to share the road safely with trams and to never drive in the path of a moving tram.”
Mr Carroll said most collisions involving trams occurred when a vehicle turned in front of a tram or drove on to tracks when attempting to overtake other vehicles.
He said around 95 per cent of tram-to-vehicle collisions were caused by vehicles on the tracks.
“Vehicle-to-tram collisions can cause major damage to trams and vehicles, as well as injuries and fatal consequences to those involved,” the Minister said.
“Clearing a collision can also take hours, leading to disruptions for all road users and often extending journeys across multiple routes and roads.”
He said Melbourne’s trams weighed up to 62 tonnes – or about as much as 30 rhinos – and while some vehicle-to-tram collisions were minor, others required major work by a skilled team to bring the trams back into service.
“Melbourne’s tram network is essential to keeping locals and tourists moving – so when serious vehicle-to-tram collisions occur, it can cause lengthy disruptions and result in the trams requiring major repair works for a long period of time,” Mr Carroll said.
“We know the network is shared with other road users and we want to keep it safe – so we’re urging motorists to take extra care when driving around trams and drive down the number of vehicle-to-tram collisions,” he said.
