The region has suffered its second fatality in a week, increasing the regions road toll by 25% percent. 

A 25-year-old Welshmans Reef man who crashed on the Creswick-Newstead Road on Tuesday died in hospital, increasing this years road toll to six. 

But the overall figure is a significant decrease from last years total of fifteen fatalities over the same time period. 

Western Region Road Policing Inspector Ben Young, he stressed the importance of taking responsibility on the roads to keep yourself and those sharing the roads with you safe.

“The most important thing and evidenced by the horror week we have had on our roads is that road safety is everyone’s responsibility and we need to remain focused,” said Inspector Young.

“Every road user has a responsibility to themselves, their passengers and all other road users.”

Mr Young urged drivers to prepare their journeys by separating driving from alcohol and drug use, allowing time to travel to your destination, including rest periods, travelling at appropriate speeds rather than at the limit, using approved devices or not using mobile phones at all when driving, and most importantly driving to the conditions.

Before this weeks two fatalities, the region was showing a step in the right direction, totaling the lowest number of fatalities in the past ten years. 

The dramatic decrease since last year is due to a number of contributing factors says Inspector Young.

“Continued involvement with Vic Roads, TAC, EPA, sheriff’s office and local councils utilising initiatives such as the Senior Driver Seminar supported by the Central Highlands Road Safety Committee will continue to assist this,” he said.

Inspector Young continued, singling out programs within the community as a primary contributor for the decrease.

“Locally we have also increased and will continue with increased operations targeting speeding as well as drug and drink driving,” he said.

“We have seen increased levels of enforcement coupled with community projects such as right to drive and the L2P program.”

These programs are clearly having a positive effect on drivers in the region, and will hopefully contribute towards furthering the push towards zero fatalities on our roads going forward. 

The Victorian Road toll now stands at 134 compared to 160 lives lost at the same time as last year.

For more information about the push towards zero, visit the TAC website.

Have you signed up to The Courier's daily newsletter and breaking news emails? You can register below and make sure you are up to date with everything that's happening in Ballarat.