New safety figures show crashes between trams, cars and pedestrians are on the rise

New safety figures show cars are dangerously dicing with trams, with collisions on the rise. And two people were killed last year, the first tram-related deaths since 2014.

Tram collisions are on the rise along Melbourne’s crowded roads, with 304 more annual crashes between trams and cars than there were five years ago.

New light rail figures released by Transport Safety Victoria show a surge in accidents in 2018 as authorities recorded 1,112 collisions with cars and 51 collisions with people.

Both categories were at a five-year high, with another 16 crashes recorded between different trams.

Tragically two members of the public died in tram-related accidents in 2018, the first deaths recorded since 2014.

Tram collisions are on the rise. Picture: File image

A Transport Safety Victoria spokeswoman said there had been a 4.3 per cent increase in passenger trips and growing congestion between different modes of transport.

“Melbourne’s tram operator has been presented with persistent challenges and opportunities to ensure the safety of the public, passengers and their workforce,” she said.

“While the number of incidents in some categories are showing signs of improvement, others continue to remain a focus of the regulator and tram operators to ensure improvements are realised.

“As expected by the Victorian community, the regulator and operator continue their focus on a target of zero fatalities.”

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Another 380 people slipped, tripped or fell on a tram last year, compared to just 180 in 2014, and four trams caught fire.

The number of serious injuries recorded on the network fell to 55 and just one of those people were railway staff.

“A large percentage of the incidents that result in serious injury to the public, involve collisions with cars, and so work continues to further segregate trams from cars,” she said.