‘Flabbergasting’: Police reveal shocking stats behind horror start to 2020 road toll

Police have revealed more than half the deaths on Victorian roads in 2020 have been “preventable”.

Fifteen people have died so far, already a sharp increase on the nine deaths in the same period in 2019, which was a shocking 25.8 per cent higher than 2018.

“Nine of those, for me, are preventable,” Assistant Commissioner for roads policing, Libby Murphy, told Neil Mitchell this morning.

Police are particularly “flabbergasted” that three of the fatalities involved drivers or passengers not wearing seat belts.

Ms Murphy also revealed another:

• three fatal crashes involved speed
• one involved alcohol
• one involved drugs
• one involved an unlicensed driver

“This is not rocket science — seat belts are basically a life vest that you can wear in a car, and they will protect you,” Ms Murphy said.

Neil Mitchell said “she’s nailed it there”.

Click PLAY for the full interview (road toll comments at 6:18-mark)