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  4. Lives Lost - Year to Date

Lives Lost - Year to Date

Calendar year to midnight 19 September 2021

2020 Lives lost 2021 Lives lost
152 166 (up 9.2%)
Fatalities (equivalent periods)
2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 5 year
average
211 182 147 195 152 177
Gender
Gender 2020 2021 Change % change 5 year
average
Female 37 45 8 22% 47
Male 115 121 6 5% 130
Unknown 0 0 0 0% 0
Road user
Road user 2020 2021 Change % change 5 year
average
Bicyclist 11 6 -5 -45% 7
Driver 73 86 13 18% 85
Motorcyclist* 23 30 7 30% 30
Passenger 21 21 0 0% 28
Pedestrian 24 23 -1 -4% 27
Unknown 0 0 0 0% 0
Location
Location 2020 2021 Change % change 5 year
average
Melbourne 62 86 24 39% 80
Rural vic 90 80 -10 -11% 97
Unknown 0 0 0 0% 0
Age Group
Age Group 2020 2021 Change % change 5 year
average
0 to 4 3 3 0 0% 2
5 to 15 1 2 1 100% 3
16 to 17 1 4 3 300% 3
18 to 20 5 9 4 80% 11
21 to 25 15 14 -1 -7% 17
26 to 29 19 15 -4 -21% 14
30 to 39 32 22 -10 -31% 27
40 to 49 18 21 3 17% 23
50 to 59 18 21 3 17% 23
60 to 69 16 23 7 44% 20
70 and over 24 32 8 33% 35
Unknown 0 0 0 0% 0
Level of urbanisation
Level of urbanisation 2020 2021 Change % change 5 year
average
Provincial cities/towns 29 19 -10 -34% 21
Rural roads 72 86 14 19% 91
Small towns/hamlets 0 0 0 0% 2
Urban Melbourne** 51 60 9 18% 64
Unknown 0 1 1 100% 0
* includes pillion riders
** Melbourne Statistical Division includes some rural roads
Note: Fatality data is compiled by the TAC from police reports supplied by Victoria Police. Fatality data is revised each day, with the exception of weekends and public holidays. Data is subject to revision as additional information about known accidents is received, and as new accident reports are received and processed.
5 year average rounded to nearest whole number

View data integrated on a map

Why the change from calling it 'Road Toll' to 'Lives Lost'?

The problem with talking about 'road toll' is that it implies that road trauma is an acceptable cost of having roads. A toll is the price we pay for using something - with toll roads, for example, it’s a few dollars.

Road toll wording also has the effect of dehumanising road trauma. By reducing people’s lives to a number, it makes it easier for the community to feel distanced from the issue.  These are not just numbers, they are people - someone’s child, mother, father, sister, brother, friend or colleague.

If we accept this 'road toll' as the price of a rural lifestyle or getting from A to B, another 2,500 people will die in the next 10 years and 50,000 people will be hospitalised with serious and life changing injuries.

The fact is we’re talking about people who have died. Instead of saying, “our road toll stands at 150", let’s say "150 lives lost on Victorian roads”.

The price we pay for using the road shouldn’t be death or serious injury.