Police are urging motorists to pay extra care and attention on the roads this month, with March considered to be the most dangerous period on Victorian roads.
The warning comes as police launch Operation Arid this Friday, a statewide road police effort targeting high-risk driving behaviour and non-compliance over the Labour Day long weekend in an effort to reduce road trauma.
While March is traditionally known in Victoria for a full calendar of major events, festivals, sports and entertainment, it is also synonymous with having the highest volume of road trauma in both metropolitan and regional Victoria.
Historically, March has the highest average injury collision volume of any month of the year, almost ten per cent higher than any other month.
Injury collisions in both metropolitan and regional Victoria have peaked in March over a five-year average.
Injury collisions where speed was a factor, where a motorcyclist or heavy vehicle was involved, and young drivers were involved also all peaked in March.
In 2024, there were 30 lives lost during in March, the second highest for the year behind November (36) and marking the worst March on record since 2011, with 34 lives lost.
Of the 30 lives lost during last March, more than half were drivers and two-thirds occurred in regional Victoria.
There were 10 lives lost in the state's east across the Shepparton, Wangaratta, Wodonga, Mitchell, Latrobe, Bass Coast, Baw Baw and Wellington areas, and a further 10 fatalities in the state's west across the Surf Coast, Moorabool, Campaspe, Horsham, Northern Grampians and Swan Hill areas.
These high-risk locations will be among key areas of focus for police during this weekend's Operation Arid.
It comes as regional fatalities are already up 34 per cent on the same time last year, with 35 lives lost on regional roads compared to 26 at the same time last year.
There have been a total 58 lives lost on Victoria's roads in 2025, higher than 49 at the same time last year.
There have been four fatalities in the first four days of March.
Police are warning motorists there will be zero tolerance for poor driving and dangerous behaviour, with state and local highway patrols to be highly visible and enforcing across metropolitan and regional roads.
There will be widespread alcohol and drug testing, particularly around major events taking place across the state, with police reminding drivers that they can be tested anywhere, anytime.
Speeding will also be a major focus, with police handing out 2,843 speeding offences during last year's Operation Arid enforcement period.
Police are urging motorists to remain alert when travelling this weekend, with complacency often leading to driving errors such as excessive or inappropriate speed, unsafe overtaking, failing to stop or give way, fatigue and distraction - all which have been cited as major contributing factors in this year's fatalities.
Operation Arid commences at 0001 hours on Friday 7 March and concludes at 2359 hours on Monday 10 March 2025.
For more information and tips for staying safe on the roads this long weekend, visit the Road Safety page on the Victoria Police website.
Quotes attributable to Road Policing Acting Assistant Commissioner, David Byrt:
"We know this long weekend is a busy period for events and a popular time to travel, so we're preparing for lots of Victorians hitting the roads over the coming days.
"We'll be out in force across the state and doing our bit to ensure everyone is being safe, adhering to the road rules and not putting others at risk.
"March historically has been a dangerous period on our roads - but that ends now.
"What we don't want to see is another March with high numbers of injury collisions and fatalities, so we'll be doing everything we can to ensure we don't have a repeat of this.
"We need everyone to do their part, and our number one message is to stay alert behind the wheel and never be complacent - it can only take one second of distraction or a simple driving error for a collision to occur".
