With 166 lives lost on Victorian roads already this year, the Transport Accident Commission (TAC) continues to urge motorists to prioritise road safety and be cautious of changing conditions throughout the year.
TAC acting CEO Tony Dudley is urging road users to keep safety at the forefront of their minds at all times.
"We encourage motorists to stay alert and plan their journeys ahead of time," Mr Dudley said.
"In bad weather or unfamiliar surroundings sticking to main roads and highways can be a safe option.
“It's always best to try and avoid driving in severe weather, but if we find ourselves in difficult conditions, it is safest to slow down, be patient, be visible, and look out for others on the roads."
With one in four people killed every year due to not wearing a seatbelt the TAC encourages drivers to ensure all passengers are wearing their seatbelts as failing to wear a seatbelt significantly increases your risk of death or serious injury in a crash.
Driver distraction is also a major cause of crashes on Victorian roads and many people are seriously injured.
As a result the Victorian Government has rolled out portable hi-tech cameras to catch drivers using handheld phones and not wearing a seatbelt, following a two-year trial.
From Saturday, July 1 drivers will now face penalties of four demerit points and a $577 fine when caught using a mobile phone while driving, and three demerit points and a $385 fine for drivers and passengers not wearing a seatbelt.
Shockingly, during April and May this year, the cameras detected 7160 offences, including 3523 drivers and 767 passengers not wearing seatbelts and 2870 drivers using mobile phones.
"It's been a tragic year on our roads, and regardless of weather conditions, our message is to always put safety first when behind the wheel,” Mr Dudley said.
"The choices we make could be the reason we and others get home safely."
The TAC and other road authorities across the nation are encouraging drivers to regularly inspect tires, brakes, lights, and wipers whilst also advising cyclists and pedestrians to enhance their visibility through safe road positioning, wearing bright or reflective clothing when riding, and always crossing at the safest point.
To further support enforcement efforts TAC's current campaign 'Anywhere, Anytime, Anyone' is highly visible across the state, deterring road users from engaging in unsafe behaviours – reminding people that if they take risks on the road, they will get caught.
TAC road safety statistics:
•Speed is a factor in approximately 30% of casualty crashes and males aged 26-39 are most likely to be detected speeding.
•Over 40% of deaths and 20% of serious injuries occur on high-speed rural roads, with run off road crashes particularly common, as seen in this campaign.
•Over the past five years in Victoria, approximately 18% of drivers and riders killed had illegal blood alcohol levels.
•Drivers and riders involved in distraction-related crashes may make up at least 11% of road fatalities.
•31% of Victorians admitted to using a mobile phone illegally in the past three months.
•For a 12 months period to December 2022, of the 241 lives lost: 101 were drivers, 57 were motorcyclists, 44 were pedestrians, 27 were passengers and 12 were bicyclists.
•The LGA’s with the highest lives lost were Brimbank (11), Greater Geelong (10), Casey (9), Whittlesea and Campaspe (8) each, Yarra Ranges, Wellington and Murrindindi (7) each, Wyndham, Moira, Mitchell, Latrobe, Greater Shepparton, Corangamite and Colac-Otway (6) each.