Rural roads crisis: Victorian country road deaths this year increase by 30 per cent

New data has revealed Victorian regional road deaths have spiked by more than 30 per cent to 167 this year, as concerns over the deteriorating conditions of roads continue.

Deaths on Victorian country roads have spiked by more than 30 per cent in 12 months as rural residents continue to bemoan their poor condition.

There have been 167 fatalities on country roads this year, up from 127 last year, according to the Transport Accident Commission’s latest crash data.

Overall there have been 283 lives lost on Victorian roads this year, compared to 223 last year, an increase of 22 per cent, with the Christmas-New Year holidays less than a week away.

Australian Automobile Association managing director Michael Bradley.

Nationally road deaths are also on the rise with a 6.3 per cent increase on the preceding 12 months, prompting Australia’s peak motoring body to accuse the federal and state governments of failing to do enough on road safety reform.

“Month after month, road deaths keep rising, and we lack the information needed to identify the reasons for this deadly trend and to develop the most effective measures for reducing crashes,” AAA managing director Michael Bradley said.

“The states and territories have crucial data on the quality of Australian roads, the causes of crashes, and law enforcement patterns.

“But they are not sharing this information.”

A large pothole on Mansfield-Woods Point Road near where four people died in a car accident last month. Picture: Andrew Henshaw

The five-year average for deaths on rural roads is 120 and last month on the same weekend six people were killed in two separate crashes with one near Mansfield claiming four lives.

Kevin Bourke has been campaigning for improvements to the Woolsthorpe-Heywood Road in southwest Victoria since 2010 and took the unprecedented step last week of approaching VicRoads to fix it himself.

“But you wouldn’t believe it, and I don’t know whether it was a coincidence or not, but the next day (the contractors) were gathering at the (nearby) Hamilton-Port Fairy Road with the equipment,” he said.

“It’s an ongoing story and it will be tidied up over Christmas.

“But that’s it.”

Kevin Bourke shows how deep the potholes were on the Woolsthorpe-Heywood Road near Bessiebelle in 2017.

Meanwhile, the federal government’s standing committee on regional development, infrastructure and transport last week tabled its report following the inquiry into implications of severe weather events on the national, regional, rural and remote road network.

“The unprecedented scale and intensity of floods, torrential downpours, and bushfires have caused catastrophic damage to our road infrastructure, exposing its vulnerability against severe weather events and a changing climate,” committee chairman Luke Gosling said.

There have been 1,253 road deaths in the year to the end of November 2023. 😔

It’s the highest recorded total in five and a half years.

Politicians should stop hiding crucial data about the causes of car crashes and the condition or our roads, so we can understand what is going… pic.twitter.com/cmwrpX2g3F

— Aus Automobile Assoc (@AAAcomms) December 18, 2023

“Our communities and supply chain networks are heavily reliant upon a safe and functional road network to ensure connectivity and access to health and other essential services, food, fuel, and other resources.

“We have reached the crossroads of changing climate risks, socio-economic growth, and long-term resilience.”

Among its recommendations were consultation with local governments to consider road infrastructure priorities at a local level and reviews of the Financial Assistance Grants for roads funding, and funding for road maintenance works under the Infrastructure Investment Program.

Originally published as Rural roads crisis: Victorian country road deaths this year increase by 30 per cent