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  4. Lives Lost - Year to Date

Lives Lost - Year to Date

Calendar year to midnight 10 August 2022

2021 Lives lost 2022 Lives lost
131 149 (up 13.7%)
Fatalities (equivalent periods)
2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 5 year
average
150 120 172 135 131 142
Gender
Gender 2021 2022 Change % change 5 year
average
Female 34 37 3 9% 37
Male 97 111 14 14% 105
Unknown 0 0 0 0% 0
Road user
Road user 2021 2022 Change % change 5 year
average
Bicyclist 5 7 2 40% 7
Driver 72 64 -8 -11% 68
Motorcyclist* 25 31 6 24% 24
Passenger 13 17 4 31% 21
Pedestrian 16 29 13 81% 22
Unknown 0 1 1 100% 0
Location
Location 2021 2022 Change % change 5 year
average
Melbourne 62 66 4 6% 64
Rural vic 69 83 14 20% 78
Unknown 0 0 0 0% 0
Age Group
Age Group 2021 2022 Change % change 5 year
average
0 to 4 2 1 -1 -50% 1
5 to 15 1 2 1 100% 3
16 to 17 2 3 1 50% 2
18 to 20 6 18 12 200% 8
21 to 25 14 11 -3 -21% 13
26 to 29 13 11 -2 -15% 11
30 to 39 19 17 -2 -11% 22
40 to 49 16 18 2 12% 17
50 to 59 15 20 5 33% 18
60 to 69 19 23 4 21% 17
70 and over 24 23 -1 -4% 29
Unknown 0 2 2 200% 0
Level of urbanisation
Level of urbanisation 2021 2022 Change % change 5 year
average
Provincial cities/towns 16 8 -8 -50% 18
Rural roads 74 84 10 14% 76
Small towns/hamlets 0 3 3 300% 1
Urban Melbourne** 41 54 13 32% 47
Unknown 0 0 0 0% 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.