Top officer's warning as region records first holiday fatality

It comes as changes to travel arrangements for New South Wales residents entering Victoria could become a "cocktail for disaster" as more Victorians look to change their Christmas plans at the last minute.

That is the fear from Ballarat's top traffic officer who is imploring all motorists to take care on the roads over the holiday period.

In Friday night's crash, police have been told a cyclist was riding west along the road at about 9.30pm when a white Toyota dual cab ute, travelling in the same direction hit the cyclist.

The driver of the car, a man in his 20s, was assisting police with their enquiries.

The death comes just hours after police launched Operation Roadwise, which is focusing on driver speed and distraction over the Christmas-New Year break.

Investigators wish to speak to anyone who may have seen the cyclist or ute prior to the collision, or anyone who witnessed the incident, or with dashcam footage.

Senior Sergeant Stuart Gale says there's every chance that roads will be even busier than usual this Christmas.

"Definitely with what's happened in New South Wales, it will be a lot different now," he said.

"The expectation is now there will be a lot more local people on local roads and lot of commuters into country Victoria, taking advantage of our tourism opportunities this way."

Senior Sergeant Gale said police would be doing what they could to keep the state safe, but said it was up to individual drivers to do their part as well.

"Our message to them is be courteous on the road, drive at appropriate speed," he said.

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"Fatigue is a concern for me. Let's be realistic, we have been in lockdown most of the year and with people travelling long distances, fatigue will becomes an issue.

"Distraction also becomes an issue and it's not just phones, whether it's conversation in the car, kids fighting in the backseat, distraction takes many forms and you put all those together, it's a cocktail for disaster."

The Ballarat region saw a spike in road deaths and injuries after COVID-19 lockdowns ended as more people took the roads.

"We will have every available unit targeting speed, fatigue, distraction. We will be conducting breath testing, looking for impaired drivers," Senior Sergeant Gale said.

"The strong message we want to get across is we'll be keeping the community safe, it's the community's job to assist us and be proactive in their own safety."

Operation Roadwise started on Friday morning and will run until January 6. It will run with Operation Break Up until December 30 and Operation New Start in the new year.

So far this year, 206 people have been killed on Victorian roads. In 2019 during the same period, 17 people lost their lives across the state.

Road Policing Command Assistant Commissioner Libby Murphy said after such a difficult year for many people, it would be a dreadful waste to end the year on further downward note.

"Victorians have worked tirelessly and sacrificed so much to be able to spend this Christmas with the people they love," she said.

"It would be devastating to think that someone might never make it to Christmas lunch or their holiday away with family due to recklessness or inattention on the road.

"The baubles on our Lives Lost Christmas tree act as a reminder that behind the statistics of road trauma are real people.

Sadly, this year, five of those baubles represent police officers. It's a tragic reminder that no one is immune to road trauma. Everyone who loses their life on our roads is missed by someone, and each of these baubles represents a person who was special to those who knew and loved them.

Many people will be attending parties and other events to celebrate the end of the year, so if you are going to have a few drinks, then make sure you've planned how to get home without driving."

Anyone with information regarding Friday night's incident is asked to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or log onto www.crimestoppersvic.com.au