Following another “devastating year” on the state’s roads in 2024, Victoria Police is reiterating that road safety will remain a key priority area in 2025.
There were 282 lives lost in 2024 compared to 295 in 2023, and while the number of lives lost has slightly decreased, there has been an overall increase in the number of fatal collisions.
There has been a six percent rise in single fatal collisions — 256 in 2024 compared with 241 in 2023.
However, there was a significant decrease in the number of multiple fatality collisions, with 13 double fatalities in 2024 compared with 2023 which saw 14 double fatalities, four quadruple fatalities and two quintuple fatalities.
Vulnerable road users, including pedestrians, motorcyclists, bicyclists and e-scooter riders made up 45 percent of all lives lost on Victorian roads in 2024.
Sixty-six motorcyclists were killed last year, compared to 53 in 2023.
Pedestrians accounted for 47 deaths, whereas driver fatalities made up 45 percent of all lives lost during 2024, with 126 driver deaths.
There were 133 lives lost on metropolitan roads, up from 123 in 2023.
November was the deadliest month on Victoria’s roads with 35 lives lost during the month.
Police have identified single acts of non-compliance or people making basic driving errors that contributed to more than half of fatalities in 2024.
These are behaviours such as low-range speeding, lower-level drink driving, failing to obey road signs and distraction, like using a mobile phone while driving.
More than 20 people killed in vehicle collisions weren’t wearing a seatbelt.
Extreme behaviours such as driving without a licence, travelling at extreme speeds, high-range drink driving, illicit drug driving or often a combination of these behaviours contributed to approximately a quarter of fatal collisions in 2024.
Police are determined to drive down road trauma in 2025 and are urging all road users to consider their actions and behaviours when getting behind the wheel.
“It’s been another challenging year on Victoria’s roads — not only is the sheer number of lives lost devastating, but the increase in fatal collisions overall has been particularly concerning to us,” Road Policing Assistant Commissioner Glenn Weir said.
“In 2025, we will continue to work with our road safety partners to drive down road trauma. The focus for police will be maintaining high visibility across the state’s roads to deter and detect offending.
“It’s up to all of us to ensure road safety remains paramount in the year ahead — we don’t want 2025 to be a year remembered for all the wrong reasons.”
