ROAD safety is a focus for Victoria Police in the new year following another tragic year on the state’s roads.
Road Policing Assistant Commissioner Glenn Weir in a press release said: “It’s been another challenging year on Victoria’s roads – the numbers are devastating, but let’s not forget that behind every number is a human life”.
There were 288 lives lost in 2025 compared with 284 in 2024.
While the provisional number of lives lost is higher than last year it came in slightly below 2023 when 295 lives lost were recorded, a 15-year high for road fatalities.
While single vehicle fatal collisions deceased slightly in 2025, concerningly the number of multiple fatality collisions increased.
Last year saw 14 double fatalities, three triple fatalities and one quadruple fatality resulting in the deaths of 41 people, compared to 13 double fatalities in 2024 resulting in 26 deaths.
Vulnerable road users, including pedestrians, motorcyclists, pillion passengers, bicyclists, and e-riders made up more than 40 per cent of all lives lost on Victorian roads in 2025.
The number of motorcyclists killed decreased from 66 in 2024 to 59 in 2025.
Driver fatalities, the death of a person from injuries sustained in a road crash, made up 42 per cent of all lives lost during 2025, with 121 driver deaths compared to 127 in 2024.
Around half of lives lost occurred on regional roads, with 147 fatalities recorded. This was similar in 2024 with 146 fatalities recorded.
There were 141 lives lost on metropolitan roads, slightly up from 138 in 2024.
May was the deadliest month on Victoria’s roads with 38 lives lost, followed closely by 36 in January and at least 10 per cent of people killed in vehicle collisions weren’t wearing a seatbelt.
Speed has been a factor in at least 30 per cent of fatal collisions in 2025 and remains the highest contributing factor in road trauma.
Mr Weir also said: “In 2026, Victoria Police will continue to work with our road safety partners to drive down road trauma, and our focus will be on remaining highly visible across the state’s roads to detect and deter offending. It’s up to all of us to prioritise road safety and ensure it remains a focus in the year ahead”.