Independent Riders' Group spokesman Damien Codognotto said poor road conditions were a significant contributor to accidents, but it wasn’t always being picked up in crash data.

“We have to look at why the road toll is going up and you can’t just blame the victims all the time,” he said. 

“There is a great deal of wastage in the way we maintain our roads. The further away you are from the capital city the worse the roads will be.”

He said money spent on “unnecessary” and “often confusing” signs and “costly” posts should instead go towards filling pot holes, fixing edges, repairing bridges and clearing road debris, particularly in country Victoria.

RACV roads and traffic manager Dave Jones said while there was no specific evidence that poor roads were resulting in crashes, anecdotal evidence suggested there was a problem.

“The roads have been very poorly maintained through insufficient funding over a long time,” he said. “Now we’re having some very wet weather and the water is getting into the roads so they’re weaker and they’re failing very badly.”

He said the condition of roads in country areas was particularly concerning and while trucks may cause some deterioration, this could be improved with better maintenance.  

“A lot of country roads were built by very partial materials so they can be not as strong and they are also much older. If they’ve not been well built and maintained, then that’s a recipe for failure.

“It’s not just a matter of patching potholes anymore after community complaint - that’s not sustainable. The roads need to be actually strengthened and made safe and then the funding put in place to make sure they’re kept to that level for the long term. At the moment it tends to be very reactionary.”

VicRoads has said a $1.9 million package will rebuild sections of the Western Freeway, Ballarat-Maryborough Road, Geelong-Ballan Road and Skipton Road.

These road reconstruction works will involve digging up a section of road, rebuilding it, and then laying a new road surface down.

Ballarat Highway Patrol Senior Sergeant Pat Cleary said motorists should always drive according to the conditions.

“Recent weather conditions may have contributed to some deterioration to some roads, particularly the secondary roads,” he said.

“Motorists need to be aware of all changing road conditions and drive accordingly. This usually means slowing down, allowing for extra distance between moving vehicles and maintaining vigilance at all times when driving.”