General News
16 January, 2026
Road fatalities have wide-spread impacts
Victoria Police have revealed how many lives were lost on the state's roads last year including locally.
While fatal collisions may locally be low, Victoria Police are reminding the community that every number is a life and that road safety is a shared responsibility.
The community’s year had a tragic start when a cyclist was killed in a fatal collision in Havelock last week.
Less than two weeks into the new year it brings the Goldfields PSA to one life lost on the region’s roads matching last year’s annual total.
Across the state there have been seven lives lost so far in 2026 which is down from 14 for the same period in 2025.
Last year would go on to see 290 road fatalities across the state, the second highest total since 2020, only topped by 2023’s 295 lives lost on the state’s roads.
The latter marked a 15-year high for road fatalities with the previous high being 303 lives lost in 2008.
Road Policing Assistant Commissioner Glenn Weir said last year’s numbers were devastating.
“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,” he said.
The Goldfields PSA has seen overall improvement in the past five years.
In 2021 there were five fatal collisions in the Goldfields PSA, four in 2022, three in 2023, and then none in 2024 before rising to one in 2025.
However, fatal collisions on regional roads accounted for around half the lives lost across the state in 2025 with 147 recorded, similar to 146 in 2024.
“Again in 2025, we have seen so many examples of the most simple and avoidable mistakes that have resulted in catastrophic road trauma,” Mr Weir said.
Victoria Police found people breaking the rules or making basic driving errors contributed to more than half of road fatalities in 2025.
These behaviours include low-range speeding, lower-level drink driving, failing to obey road signs and distraction like using a mobile phone while driving.
An increase in fatalities from head on collisions with another vehicle, with failing to keep left the most common factor, indicated to Victoria Police that drivers were drifting out of their lane into oncoming traffic likely due to inattention, distraction, or fatigue.
Across the state at least 10 percent of people killed in vehicle collisions weren’t wearing a seatbelt.
Victoria Police also found speed remains the highest contributing factor to road trauma with it being present in at least 30 percent of fatal collisions in 2025.
It’s data that causes tragedies across the state, felt by their communities, and one Victoria Police said they are determined to drive down in 2026.
However, Mr Weir called on the community to help.
“As we head into a New Year, it’s a chance for everyone to reflect on our behaviour behind the wheel and consider what we can all do to contribute to making the roads a safer place,” he said.
“Road safety is everyone’s responsibility — whether that be slowing down and travelling at the speed limit, not driving after consuming alcohol or drugs, avoiding distractions like mobile phones and ensuring everyone is wearing a properly fitted seatbelt.
“It’s up to all of us to prioritise road safety and ensure it remains a focus in the year ahead.”
Victoria Police intend on working closely with road safety partners, prioritise road policing enforcement with a number of statewide operations, and focusing on roadside alcohol and drug testing.
“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,” Mr Weir said.