Police urge caution after spike in road deaths

VICTORIA POLICE has issued an urgent plea to all motorists to take extra care on the road, following a surge in road deaths this month.

Between July 8 and July 11, eight lives were lost on the state’s roads, bringing the number of road deaths in the first 11 days of July to 14.

It marks the worst start to July since 2008, when 14 lives were lost in the first 11 days of that month.

Local incidents include a head-on collision in Moriac on July 8 in which two drivers were killed, a single-vehicle collision in Bannockburn on July 10 in which one life was lost, and police continue to investigate last week’s hit-run collision in Marshall, which resulted in a woman being flown to hospital with life-threatening injuries.

Victoria Police road policing assistant commissioner Glenn Weir said it had been a horrific period on the state’s roads.

“Eight lives lost in four days is incredibly concerning to us.

“We’re issuing an urgent plea to all motorists to please take extra care on the roads. Now is not the time to be complacent – this should absolutely be cause for concern for everyone.

“We need everyone to stop and think – not only about their own safety, but how their decisions and behaviours behind the wheel can impact the safety of all others.

“Far too often we’re seeing simple mistakes, like being slightly over the speed limit, or a split second of inattention, resulting in these catastrophic outcomes.

“We’re committed to doing everything we can to drive down the rising trauma on our roads, but we can’t do this alone. Everyone has a responsibility on the roads.”

While several of these recent collisions are still under investigation, police are urging all road users to pay extra attention to their surroundings, avoid distractions such as mobile phones while driving and be mindful of poor visibility due to reduced daylight hours through the winter.

Motorists should also avoid driving fatigued by taking regular breaks when travelling long distances, and never get behind the wheel if impaired by alcohol or drugs.