The Allan Labor Government launched its second Road Safety Action Plan which will deliver life-saving road safety infrastructure and strengthen enforcement efforts over the next four years to reduce road trauma.
More than $1.1 billion is being invested until 2028 by the Labor Government, including $350 million in new initiatives in the updated plan to help prevent serious crashes to keep Victorians safe.
This funding will deliver critical road safety infrastructure, including safety barriers on high-risk curves, rural and urban roads.
To protect vulnerable road users like pedestrians and cyclists the plan will fund infrastructure improvements at more than 100 high-risk sites across the state.
Tragically in 2023, 295 lives were lost on Victorian roads, the highest since 2008, while 279 lives have been lost to date this year.
Sadly, the contributing factors to the road toll are not new - travelling over the speed limit, distractions, drink and drug driving, not wearing a seatbelt, driving while fatigued and less safe older cars.
The updated plan targets these risky behaviours through expanding the Distracted Driving and Seatbelt Camera Program, which cracks down on drivers using their mobile phones or driving without wearing a seatbelt.
Speed and red-light cameras will continue to play a key role in reducing speeding which contributes to around 30 per cent of fatal crashes on Victorian roads.
Road Safety Action Plan 2 has been developed by the Victorian Road Safety Partners and is the second to be delivered under the Victorian Road Safety Strategy 2021-2030.
As stated by Minister for Roads and Road Safety Melissa Horne
"Road trauma is a complex challenge and sadly the contributing factors are not new - speeding, not wearing a seatbelt, drink and drug driving, driving while distracted or fatigued and less safe older cars."
"By investing in safer infrastructure and targeting high-risk behaviours, this plan builds on our record investment in road safety in order to save lives, reduce injuries, and prevent crashes before they happen."
