Victoria records 17 per cent increase in dangerous driving offences in one year

Information released by the Victorian Crime Statistics Agency this week shows dangerous driving offences have risen by 17 per cent in the past 12 months to 31 March 2023.

While the jump is significant, Victoria Police says it can be attributed to anti-hoon operations and active policing on the state's roads targeting bad drivers – with 13,890 vehicles having been impounded in 2022.

So far, 145 lives have been lost on Victorian roads this year – up almost 37 per cent compared to the same time last year.

The latest data also shows stolen vehicles have increased by almost 18 per cent over the past year, with many being driven by underage offenders.

The figures come just days after a member of parliament proposed a new road rule requiring all vehicles to drive with headlights or daytime-running lights, in an effort to improve road safety and lower the toll.

In late May, Victoria Police kicked off a five-month operation targeting the safety of vulnerable road users such as cyclists, motorcyclists, and pedestrians.

"We want everyone to think about not only their own safety but how their behaviour can impact the safety of others," Victoria Police Assistant Commissioner Glenn Weir from Road Policing Command said in a media statement at the time.