Victoria road toll: Surge in people killed on Melbourne’s roads

Victoria’s road toll has spiked, with the number of people killed on Melbourne’s roads surging by more than a third.

Victoria’s 2021 road toll has spiked from 2020, with the number of people killed on Melbourne’s roads surging by more than a third.

Seven people have died on the state’s roads since Christmas Eve, taking the tally to 236 lives lost, up from 211 in 2020 – an 11.4 per cent rise.

In a worrying trend, 116 lives were claimed in Melbourne in 2021, rising a whopping 36 per cent from the 85 people killed in 2020, according to TAC data.

This is despite motorists facing tough travel restrictions for months in lockdown.

The number of fatalities in the city last year was higher than the five year average of 110.

In regional Victoria, road deaths fell to 119 last year from 126 in 2020.

Research has found the overwhelming majority of people who die on country roads are residents dying close to home, dispelling the myth of unfamiliar tourists making up the deaths.

Emergency services at the scene of a fatal crash in Burwood last year. Picture: Ian Currie

Men continue to be over-represented in the road toll, with 172 dying in the previous year compared with 63 women.

Victoria Police Assistant Commissioner Road Policing Glenn Weir said the statistics represented victims.

“These are people whose lives have tragically been cut short with families, friends and loved ones left behind – their lives forever changed,” Mr Weir said.

“As we enter a new year, we cannot stress enough that the onus of road safety is on all of us. “Everyone has the ability to make good choices to keep themselves, their passengers and other road users safe.”

Older people also died in rising numbers, with a 67 per cent increase for the 60 to 69 age group where 35 were killed in 2021 – higher than the five year average of 28.

Road deaths dropped to 213 in 2018 from 259 on the year before, but 2019 was a grimmer year with 266 fatalities, the figure confounding authorities.

Dennis Wu, 25, died in a crash near Melbourne Airport.

Dennis Wu, a young father from Tarneit, died in June after his car collided with a truck at the intersection of Terminal Drive and Centre Rd in Tullamarine.

His childhood friend Richard Barrera, said he wished he had “one last chance” to speak to the 25-year-old before he was killed.

“Be more patient,” Mr Barrera urged.

“Be safe, you’ll get to where you need to be, your life is worth more than your schedule.”

RACV spokesman Andrew Scannell urged motorists to plan their travel, especially when driving on regional roads.

“Always drive to the conditions and make use of tools such as the VicEmergency app, which is the official Victorian Government app for access to community information and warnings for all types of emergencies throughout Victoria,” he said.

The new Road Safety Strategy 2021-2030, aims to halve road deaths and significantly reduce serious injuries by 2030.