The appeal comes as police launch Operation Arid on Friday, March 6, a statewide road policing effort targeting high-risk driving and traffic offences across the Labour Day long weekend.
The operation aims to curb dangerous driving behaviour and prevent serious injuries and fatalities.
Road Policing Acting Assistant Commissioner Justin Goldsmith said March continued to be associated with road trauma.
“We don’t want to see another month with record numbers of collisions, so police will have a major presence on the state’s roads this long weekend to ensure we don’t have a repeat of this,’’ he said.
March is widely recognised for its packed calendar of major events, festivals and sporting fixtures across metropolitan and regional Victoria and it has also historically recorded the highest levels of road trauma in the state.
March saw the highest number of collisions in 2025, with more than 1600 collisions resulting in injuries across the month — 23 of which were fatal.
Collisions in March peaked over Labour Day weekend, increasing 15 per cent on the same period the previous year.
March has remained the worst month for injury collisions over the five-year average.
Injury collisions where speed or fatigue was a factor or involving motorcyclists, cyclists or e-rideables, have all historically peaked in March.
Injury collisions involving drink or drug driving, and road users including heavy vehicles and pedestrians are also at increased risk during the month.
Police are warning motorists there will be zero tolerance for poor driving and dangerous behaviour, with state and local highway patrols to be highly visible and enforcing across the state’s roads.
“It only takes one second of distraction or to make a basic driving error that results in a collision, so we’re urging everyone to focus on their driving and remain alert behind the wheel,’’ Asst Comm Goldsmith said.
Operation Arid starts at 12.01am on Friday, March 6, and ends at 11.59pm on Monday, March 9.
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