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  4. Lives Lost - Year to Date

Lives Lost - Year to Date

Calendar year to midnight 1 December 2022

2021 Lives lost 2022 Lives lost
208 230 (up 10.6%)
Fatalities (equivalent periods)
2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 5 year
average
230 196 246 195 208 215
Gender
Gender 2021 2022 Change % change 5 year
average
Female 57 57 0 0% 57
Male 151 173 22 15% 158
Unknown 0 0 0 0% 0
Road user
Road user 2021 2022 Change % change 5 year
average
Bicyclist 11 12 1 9% 10
Driver 107 100 -7 -7% 103
Motorcyclist* 36 50 14 39% 35
Passenger 30 22 -8 -27% 36
Pedestrian 23 44 21 91% 31
Unknown 1 1 0 0% 0
Location
Location 2021 2022 Change % change 5 year
average
Melbourne 103 103 0 0% 96
Rural vic 105 127 22 21% 119
Unknown 0 0 0 0% 0
Age Group
Age Group 2021 2022 Change % change 5 year
average
0 to 4 3 2 -1 -33% 2
5 to 15 4 4 0 0% 4
16 to 17 8 3 -5 -62% 4
18 to 20 12 21 9 75% 15
21 to 25 21 19 -2 -10% 21
26 to 29 16 23 7 44% 16
30 to 39 28 28 0 0% 34
40 to 49 26 32 6 23% 26
50 to 59 22 30 8 36% 24
60 to 69 30 32 2 7% 26
70 and over 38 36 -2 -5% 42
Unknown 0 0 0 0% 0
Level of urbanisation
Level of urbanisation 2021 2022 Change % change 5 year
average
Provincial cities/towns 28 15 -13 -46% 26
Rural roads 108 127 19 18% 114
Small towns/hamlets 0 3 3 300% 1
Urban Melbourne** 72 85 13 18% 74
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.