Over 7000 Victorians have provided the RACV extensive data on the state of Victoria’s regional roads, with the insurance provider noting a giant increase in the number of responders who cited potholes as a major safety concern.
64 per cent of survey participants identified poor road quality and potholes as the main safety issue on the roads, up from 46 per cent in 2021.
In response to the overall negative assessment of Victoria’s road quality, 60 per cent of participants believe the improvement of Victoria’s roads is the major state-wide solution for improving road safety.
The figures come after Victorian Shadow Minister for Roads and Road Safety Danny O’Brien slammed a reduction in funding for road maintenance.
RACV Head of Policy James Williams says the responses to the survey show the standard of roads in regional Victoria is becoming an endemic problem.
“Over 7,000 Victorians have provided us with data about safety on our regional roads, with potholes or poor road condition being the number one safety issue,” Mr Williams said.
“As a safety advocate, it’s important that RACV closely examines what Victorians think are the factors contributing to unsafe road conditions, so we can provide that information to all levels of government and encourage action.
“The number of responses received is a strong indicator that Victorians are concerned about safety on regional roads and are calling for urgent improvement.
“Sixty per cent of survey participants think that improving road surfaces should be the priority road safety solution.
“While in 2021, dangerous driver behaviour was the biggest safety concern on regional roads, this year poor road conditions received more than double the number of responses as dangerous driver behaviour.
“Fifty-eight per cent of the survey participants told us that they use the road they identified every day, and that level of local knowledge has been invaluable to identifying Victoria’s most unsafe roads.”
Data from the 2021 survey was utilised to improve some of Victoria’s worst regional roads over the past three years, a trend Williams hopes will continue and be further actioned following the most recent survey.
“Six of the top roads identified in the 2021 survey appear again this year, including the Melba Highway, Bass Highway, Bacchus Marsh Road, Phillip Island Road, Warburton Highway, and the junction of the Midland Highway and Howard Street in Epsom.
“Sixteen of the twenty-one most dangerous roads identified in the 2021 survey received upgrades and improvements by government; but more work needs to be undertaken to improve the safety of regional roads.”
The number of responses to the 2024 My Country Road survey increased by more than 75 per cent from the 4,000 responses to the 2021 survey and also included questions surrounding speed limits and.
Further data from the survey is as follows:
The following roads received the most responses:
- Melba Hwy, Coldstream to Yea (B300)
- Tylden-Woodend Road, Woodend to Tylden (C317)
- Kilmore Road, Monegeetta to Gisborne (C708)
- Goulburn Valley Hwy, Nagambie to Shepparton (A39)
- Princes Hwy, Warrnambool to Portland (A1)
- Western Hwy, Trawalla to Beaufort (A8)
- Bass Hwy, Jam Jerrup to Leongatha (M420/B460)
- Princes Hwy, Colac to Stonyford (A1)
- Princes Hwy, Stratford to Bairnsdale (A1)
- Great Alpine Road, Bairnsdale to Wangaratta (B500)
- Bacchus Marsh Road, Balliang to Lara (C704)
- Phillip Island Road, Phillip Island (B420).
Top issues participants identified as contributing to how safe the roads are:
- 64% – Potholes/road condition
- 32% – Dangerous behaviours of other drivers (e.g. speeding, erratic driving)
- 29% – Narrow lanes/road
- 26% – Intersection safety issues
- 24% – Limited overtaking opportunities.
State-wide top voted solutions:
- 60% – Improve road surface
- 23% – Wider shoulders (edges of road)
- 15% – Wider lanes
- 14% – A lower/more appropriate speed limit
- 13% – Clear trees/vegetation/other obstructions
- 12% – Intersection safety improvements.
State-wide stats:
- 56 per cent of participants believe the speed limit on the top 12 most dangerous roads should be reduced.
- 61 per cent of participants identified locations where they believe the 90+ km/h speed limit should be 80/km/h or below.
- 78 per cent of responses identified a location to be dangerous or very dangerous.
- Northern Region received the highest response rate, followed by the Southwestern Region.
The top three roads for each region (those that received the most responses):
Southwest Region
- Princes Hwy, Warrnambool to Portland (A1)
- Princes Hwy, Colac to Stonyford (A1)
- Murradoc Road, between Drysdale and St Leonards (C125)
Western Region
- Western Hwy, Trawalla to Beaufort (A8)
- Bacchus Marsh Road, Balliang to Lara (C704)
- Intersection of Midland Highway and Howard Street, Epsom (A300)
Northern Region
- Melba Hwy, Coldstream to Yea (B300)
- Tylden-Woodend Road, Woodend to Tylden (C317)
- Kilmore Road, Monegeetta to Gisborne (C708)
Eastern Region
- Princes Hwy, Stratford to Bairnsdale (A1)
- Great Alpine Road, Bairnsdale to Wangaratta (B500)
- Murray Valley Hwy, Cobram to Rutherglen (B400)
Southeastern Region
- Bass Hwy, Jam Jerrup to Leongatha (M420/B460)
- Phillip Island Road, Phillip Island (B420)
- Boneo Road, Mornington Peninsula (C777)
Read more ATN:
SA Police issues warning after month-long camera trial
M7 Motorway set for August night closure
New government funding agreement to change disaster recovery response?