Motorists are being urged to take extra care on the roads during the King’s Birthday long weekend, as the number of lives lost throughout Victoria surges to a 16-year high.
Operation Regal, starting at 12.01am on Friday, June 9 and finishing at 11.59pm on Monday, June 12, will see police ramp up enforcement across the state in an effort to drive down road trauma.
It follows a terrible period on the state’s roads that saw 29 lives lost during May, more than double the same month last year, and five fatalities in the first week of June.
There have now been 140 lives lost on Victorian roads in 2023, up 35 per cent on the same time last year.
Locally, 24 people have died on the region’s roads since New Year’s Eve.
The last time 140 fatalities had been recorded at this point of the year was in 2007, when there were 143 lives lost.
There have been 111 single vehicle fatalities, eight double fatalities, two quadruple fatalities — one of which was at Pine Lodge — and one quintuple fatality at Strathmerton this year, compared with 101 single vehicle fatalities and only one double fatality this time last year.
The increase in multiple fatality collisions has seen passenger deaths rise 255 per cent to 32 from nine this time last year, while driver fatalities have increased 56 per cent to 69 from 44 last year.
Police suspect a wide range of contributing factors are behind this year’s fatal collisions, including excessive or inappropriate speed, impaired driving, seatbelt non-compliance, distraction and disobeying traffic signs, and unauthorised driving, which includes being suspended, disqualified or unlicensed.
These behaviours will be a key focus for police over the King’s Birthday long weekend, identified as a high-risk period on Victorian roads.
Road Policing Acting Assistant Commissioner Martin O’Brien said long weekends were historically high risk on the state’s roads, with this long weekend presenting additional challenges.
“Wintry weather can increase the likelihood of a collision, with slippery roads and poor visibility,” he said.
“Please take extra care on the roads and be sure to drive to the conditions.
“We’re approaching the halfway point of the year and the amount of trauma on our roads is alarming — it’s been 15 years since we had this many lives lost at this point of the year.
“So many of this year’s fatal collisions could have been avoided — it is simple mistakes like creeping over the speed limit, being distracted and failing to buckle up that we’re seeing result in catastrophic consequences.”
Last year, police issued more than 5000 infringements during Operation Regal — more than 40 per cent were motorists detected speeding and 372 were detected for drink and drug driving offences.