Police are prioritising pedestrian safety following a significant recent spike in deaths, with a new road policing initiative launching today.
Operation Aware will see police focused on addressing behaviour that leads to trauma among our most vulnerable road users and will run until the end of September.
It comes as 26 pedestrians have lost their lives in Victoria this year - up 56% on the same time last year (16).
May to August is historically the highest risk period for collisions involving pedestrians, with reduced visibility due to less daylight hours and inclement weather during winter both major contributing factors.
Almost half of this year's pedestrian deaths occurred during the last two months, with seven fatalities recorded in June and a further five in May.
Operation Aware will run in priority high-risk metro areas like Melbourne's CBD, Merri-bek, Port Phillip and Yarra where there are lots of pedestrians intersecting with other road users.
Between 2019 and 2023, more than 80 per cent of pedestrian injury collisions occurred each year in metro areas, with weekdays between 2pm and 8pm identified as the most high-risk time.
Melbourne, Glen Eira, Monash, Casey and Merri-bek recorded the highest number of pedestrian injury collisions during May to August between 2019 and 2023, with 76 per cent of collisions occurring in 40 - 60 km/h speed zones.
Police will be engaging, and enforcing where necessary, with all road users during Operation Aware, with local and state highway patrols, solo unit, bike patrols and police foot patrols all involved.
Analysis of this year's fatalities has indicated that failing to give way, by both drivers and pedestrians, is the most common contributing factor to pedestrian deaths.
During Operation Aware, police will be on the lookout for vehicles failing to give way, as well as other behaviours that put pedestrians at risk such as distraction, speeding, impaired driving and riding on the footpath.
With 45 per cent of pedestrian deaths this year occurring mid-block (section of road with no traffic lights or pedestrian crossing), police will also proactively engage with pedestrians and encourage use of designated footpaths and crossings to help keep themselves safe.
Between April and September 2023, police issued 2,191 offences during Operation Halo, a similar road safety initiative focused on vulnerable road user safety.
Operation Aware will run until the end of September 2024.
For more information and tips for staying safe on the roads visit the Road Safety
page on the Victoria Police website.
Quotes attributable to Road Policing Assistant Commissioner Glenn Weir:
"This operation is about doing all we can to protect our most vulnerable road users - particularly as we've seen such a significant spike in pedestrian deaths this year.
"Pedestrians have little to no protection, so when they're involved in a collision with a vehicle, the consequences can be catastrophic.
"We've conducted thorough analysis to understand when, where and most importantly, why trauma involving pedestrians is occurring, and we'll be priorisiting and addressing these issues during Operation Aware.
"This is not about levelling blame at anyone, this is about saving lives and reducing the amount of trauma on our roads.
"We'll be focusing on all road users and all behaviours that put pedestrians at risk of being involved in a collision - whether it's failing to give way, distraction, speeding, impaired driving, riding on the footpath, or not using designated crossings.
"We want everyone to think about not only their own safety but how their behaviour can impact the safety of others.
