The Transport Accident Commission is calling on Victorians to drive safely as the festive period approaches.
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Data shows 169 people have died on regional roads in 2023.
Sadly, 17 of those deaths happened in the south-west, which is the highest toll seen across police western region division two since 2014.
Across the state, 287 people have lost their lives on the roads, the highest in 15 years, a significant increase on the 234 at this time last year.
The TAC said authorities were particularly concerned with the increase in driver and passenger fatalities, which had risen to 185, compared with 124 at this time in 2022. More than 70 per cent of those deaths happened in regional Victoria.
TAC head of safety Samantha Cockfield said motorists travelling long distances over the holiday period were encouraged to get a good night's sleep before driving, set aside plenty of travel time, drive to the conditions, remove distractions and take regular breaks.
Ms Cockfield said fatigue was a major factor in fatal crashes in regional Victoria.
"It's been a devastating year on Victorian roads, and we can't forget there are more than 280 families across our state heading into the holiday period missing someone they've lost to road trauma this year," she said.
"With more people travelling at this time of year, often with friends or family, and for longer periods on unfamiliar roads, we are urging people to plan ahead and take pause stops along the way.
"We're calling on Victorians to put safety on the top of their to do list this holiday season.
"Let's work together to avoid leaving another family and community mourning the senseless death of a loved one this Christmas."
The fatal crashes across the south-west in 2023 included:
- Panmure's Reg Dumesny, who tragically died in a single-vehicle car crash near Timboon in January.
- Yangery's Rick McInerney died when his bicycle collided with a car at the intersection of Southern Cross and Tower Hill roads in February.
- A Warrnambool man lost his life when his truck rolled on the Sisters-Garvoc Road at Garvoc in March.
- A 38-year-old Portland woman died in a collision with a livestock truck near Port Fairy in May.
- Four people, including three teenagers, died in a crash at Bochara near Hamilton in May.
- A man died following a car crash on the Princes Highway in Codrington in August.
- A 31-year-old Queensland motorcyclist died in hospital after a fatal crash in Heywood in September.
- A 65-year-old Scotts Creek man died after his utility hit a tree on Williams Road in Simpson in October.
- A 75-year-old Noble Park woman was killed in a collision with a truck north of Portland in October.
- A 20-year-old British driver died from injuries she suffered in a single-vehicle collision with a tree at Winnap, about 50 kilometres north-west of Portland in November.
Lillian Altman
Lillian is an experienced journalist who joined Warrnambool Standard in late 2021. She has a particular interest in writing stories on the arts and culture, health, education, breaking news, police stories, as well as human interest and profiles.
Lillian is an experienced journalist who joined Warrnambool Standard in late 2021. She has a particular interest in writing stories on the arts and culture, health, education, breaking news, police stories, as well as human interest and profiles.
