‘Catastrophic collisions’: Shock trend in Vic’s soaring road toll

The state’s most senior traffic cop has revealed a worrying factor is driving Victoria’s road toll to alarming heights, with multi-victim crashes soaring.

Six people are dead in two country Victorian road tragedies, amid an unprecedented number of multiple death crashes.

Sunday’s smashes in Piries and Goornnong are the latest in a year-long chain of multi-victim collisions which are driving Victoria’s road toll to alarming levels.

The state’s most senior traffic policeman had told the Herald Sun late last week the severity of collisions was worsening, amid a trend towards more people travelling in each vehicle.

Assistant Commissioner Glenn Weir said 16 multi-victim crashes had killed 44 people across the state this year.

The following day, six more people died in horror crashes near Mansfield and Bendigo.

The two worst smashes this year claimed five lives each, at Daylesford in central Victoria this month and at Strathmerton in the state’s north in April.

There had been three quadruple-fatal smashes, at Pine Lodge, near Shepparton in January, Bochara in the state’s southwest in May and Chiltern in the north two months ago, before this weekend.

Four people were killed in a crash in Bochara in May. Picture: David Crosling

Eleven double-fatals had happened, at Seville, Creightons Creek, Murtoa, Yarrawonga, Bell Post Hill, Wangaratta, Caulfield South, Thomastown, Altona, Grangefields, and Shepparton East.

Victoria’s annual road toll stood at 252 on Saturday, a 19 per cent increase on the 211 at the same time last year.

That is the highest rate since 2008 and authorities are concerned as the holiday period looms and people start to make long trips away from home.

Victoria Police figures show 146 people had died on country roads, up from 118 at the same time last year.

There have been 106 fatalities in the metropolitan area, compared to the 93 of the corresponding period in 2022.

Five people died in a crash in Strathmerton earlier this year.

Mr Weir said people failing to wear seatbelts, speeding and not stopping at red lights or giving way at intersections were factors in what he described as “catastrophic collisions”.

“It is rather extraordinary the severity of collisions we’re experiencing this year,” Mr Weir said.

“These multiple fatality collisions are occurring at unprecedented levels. We’re also seeing changes in the way people travel, with more people travelling in one vehicle.”

The biggest increase from the police areas was in eastern region which rose from 71 to 102.

Western region increased from 65 to 68, southern metro went from 26 to 35 and northwest metro declined by two to 47.

Mr Weir said drivers and passengers had a responsibility to keep everyone on board safe.

He said the state was entering a high-risk time of the year and police wanted to make sure everyone reached their destination.

“This means sticking to the speed limit, not driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs, avoiding distractions, and ensuring everyone is wearing a properly fitted seatbelt,” Mr Weir said.