Police are urging road users to take the wake up call after 13 lives were lost on the roads over the weekend — with more deaths already occurring on the state’s roads this year than in the entirety of 2022.

As of Wednesday, 251 lives had been lost on Victorian roads — the highest since 2008 (256 lives lost at the same point of the year).

The numbers come after a horror weekend which saw 13 people lose their lives on the roads from Friday, November 3 to Sunday, November 5.

That sadly included a 47-year-old Maryborough man who died after his car left the road and struck a tree near Clunes early Saturday morning, and the horror scene at Daylesford when a car ploughed into a pub killing five people, including two children Sunday night.

“Despite our best efforts and an increased police presence with Operation Furlong (Melbourne Cup weekend road operation), it has been an absolutely horrific weekend on Victorian roads — 13 lives lost is incomprehensible,” Road Policing Assistant Commissioner Glenn Weir said.

“The fact we’ve also surpassed lives lost for all of last year and reached the highest number of fatalities in 15 years is just truly tragic.

“This should be a wake up call to everyone — don’t think that road trauma can’t happen to you, because it can.

“Road safety is everyone’s responsibility, and we need all road users to take more care on the roads — particularly as we head towards the high-risk period at the end of the year.”

Police investigations into the Daylesford incident are ongoing.

On Wednesday, the lawyer for the 66-year-old Mount Macedon driver at the centre of the crash told media his client had been interviewed by police, but no charges have been laid.

Solicitor Martin Amad said his client is an insulin-dependent diabetic and required immediate treatment at the scene of the crash.

“He [the 66-year-old] is deeply distressed and feels great empathy with the families and friends of the victims, and of the wider Daylesford community,” Mr Amad said.