April 10th, 2025April road safety warning for Easter school holidays
Road safety enforcement has ramped up during April as police warn motorists to take extra care when travelling throughout Victoria this month.
The warning comes as the Victorian school holidays kicked off last Friday, running for two weeks and concluding with the Easter long weekend.
Police are preparing for an influx of motorists hitting highways and major arterials, heading to holiday hotspots across the state.
Despite lower-than-average road trauma experienced during March, which is historically one of the state’s worst periods for road trauma, police are urging motorists not to be complacent as April gets underway.
In April 2024, there were 17 lives lost on Victorian roads, with three quarters of these occurring on regional roads.
The Goulburn Valley police service area experienced a significant amount of the month’s road trauma, with six fatalities occurring in Seymour, Mansfield, Boweya, Pine Lodge, Enochs Point and Arcadia.
Of the 17 lives lost during April last year, 11 occurred within 15 kilometres of the deceased’s address.
Drivers made up the majority of fatalities with nine lives lost recorded, with a further four motorcyclists, three passengers and one pedestrian killed in fatal collisions in April.
As the school holidays get underway, motorists are being urged to remain alert and extra vigilant around built-up areas, particularly where children, pedestrians and other vulnerable road users might be present.
Those travelling with passengers should ensure everyone in the vehicle is wearing a properly fastened seatbelt or child restraint, avoid distractions, and take regular breaks on long trips to manage fatigue.
In addition to the school holidays commencing over the weekend just gone, police are also reminding all road users to consider the end of daylight savings in Victoria, which came into effect on Sunday.
The changeover from daylight savings means it will start to remain darker for longer periods, with drivers being urged to adjust their driving accordingly, including switching on headlights to help see and be seen.
Police will also be prioritising road safety this month, with several localised operations to be conducted in high-risk areas, culminating in a major statewide road policing blitz over the Easter and ANZAC Day period.
Operation Compass will see police highly visible and enforcing across the state’s roads, commencing on 17 April 2025 and running for an extended 10-day period.
There have already been at least 75 lives lost on Victorian roads in 2025, at least equal with 75 at the same time last year, with more than half of this year’s fatal collisions occurring on regional roads.
For more information and tips for staying safe on the roads during April, visit the Road Safety page on the Victoria Police website.
