The Andrews Labor Government is boosting motorcyclist safety along eight high-risk routes in regional Victoria as part of a package of road safety improvements.
The Motorcycle Safety Levy-funded upgrade work includes the installation of new rub-rail protective barriers, sealing driveways and roads, better surfaces, signage and roadside improvements to create a safer and more rider-friendly environment.
Work is already complete on three routes on Great Alpine Road, Licola Road (Licola to Heyfield) and the Omeo Highway (Bogong High Plains Road to Anglers Rest), with a further eight upgrades expected to be finished by mid-2017.
The $10.75 million investment is part of a targeted approach to reduce the number of motorcyclists who lost their lives on Victorian roads.
The further eight upgrades expected to be finished by late 2017 are:
Macedon Ranges
- Lancefield-Woodend Rd (Lancefield to Woodend)
- Mt Macedon-Hanging Rock Rd (Mt Macedon Rd to Lancefield-Woodend Rd)
- Mt Macedon Rd (Macedon-Woodend Rd to Mt Macedon-Hanging Rock Rd)
Hepburn Shire
- Daylesford-Trentham Rd (Midland Hwy to Kyneton-Trentham Rd)
- Myrniong-Trentham Rd (Kyneton to Western Fwy)
Otways/Surf Coast Shire
- Deans Marsh-Lorne Rd (Deans Marsh to Lorne)
Mansfield/Wangaratta Rural City Shire
- Mansfield-Whitfield Rd (Mansfield to Whitfield)
Yarra Ranges
- Healesville-Kinglake Rd (Healesville to Toolangi)
The 11 routes were prioritised for safety upgrades as they are some of Victoria’s most popular motorcyclist touring roads with a significant motorcycle-related crash history.
A further $2.1 million investment will provide additional maintenance funding for 200 popular motorcycle touring routes enabling targeted road surfacing works as required, mainly on approaches to corners.
A total of 292 lives were lost on Victoria’s roads in 2016, compared to 252 in 2015, with many of the additional deaths stemming from a spike in motorcycle fatalities; 56 deaths, up from 30 in 2015.
Quotes attributable to Minister for Roads and Road Safety Luke Donnellan
“We know motorcyclists are over-represented in serious and fatal crashes and that’s why we’re identifying the routes riders use so we can make them safer.”
“Motorcyclists are extremely vulnerable in a crash, so it is absolutely critical that riders take maximum care to avoid risks, wear the appropriate riding gear, focus carefully on road conditions and stick to the speed limit.”
“Drivers should also make sure they are on the lookout for motorcycles and share the road responsibly.”