Road toll: New year begins with a fatal collision in Melbourne’s north, after horror 2019

The new decade has begun on sad note on our roads, with a motorcyclist killed following a collision with a car in Jacana at about 2am.

The male rider, aged in his 20s, died at the scene. The woman driving the car was not injured.

It comes as 2019 figures reveal last year was a terrible year on our roads.

Provisional figures show 263 lives were lost on Victorian roads in 2019, a staggering 50 more than in 2018.

It’s the worst road toll figure since 2016, when 290 people died.

There were 16 double fatalities and one triple fatality.

Those killed on our roads were overwhelmingly male, with men making up 75 per cent of victims.

Ten cyclists were also killed, up from just three in 2018.

Assistant Commissioner for Road Policing Libby Murphy said we can do much more to stop deaths on our roads.

“There is no good number of lives lost and if 2019 has proven anything, it’s that we have a long way to go before we can achieve zero deaths,” she said in a statement.

Ms Murphy said drug and drink driving remains a critical factor in road deaths.

“You might think it’s okay to jump in the driver’s seat after one or two drinks or taking drugs, but that simple choice can mean the difference between life and death, not only for you but for innocent others who find themselves in the wrong place at the wrong time.”