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Aust'n state's worst road toll in decade blamed on 'risk taking' motorcyclists  

Xinhua, March 24, 2016 Adjust font size:

The Australian state of Victoria is experiencing its worst road toll in a decade, with motorcyclist deaths accounting for almost one-third of those killed in traffic accidents.

Victoria has already recorded 77 road-accident-related deaths in 2016, more than 20 percent higher than at the same stage last year.

On Thursday, Victoria Police launched its annual road safety campaign for the Easter holidays, a period that traditionally results in a spike in traffic accidents and fatalities.

The alarming statistics have led the state's Premier, Daniel Andrews, to make an impassioned plea to the people of Victoria to "slow down, drive to the conditions and know your limits" this weekend.

"Tragically we are experiencing the worst start to the year on Victorian roads in a decade, and this Easter break, road safety partners will embark on an unprecedented effort to help get Victorians home safely," Andrews said in a press release on Thursday.

"No Victorian family should lose a loved one on the roads this Easter, so please enjoy the break and take care."

The police road-safety initiative, which involves more speed, drug and alcohol checks for drivers, will particularly focus on motorcycle riders, after it emerged that 19 motorcyclists were killed in February alone.

Not even three months into the year, 24 motorbike riders have died on Victorian roads in 2016. To put that in perspective, Victoria had 30 rider fatalities throughout 2015.

"It's really disturbing, we're really concerned about what's happening with our motorcycle community, because this is not normal, this is not the normal pattern that we have seen in other years with our motorcyclists," Robyn Seymour, VicRoads director of vehicle and road use policy, told Fairfax Media last week.

Seymour revealed that nine of the motorbike fatalities were unlicensed drivers.

John Eacott, from the Victorian Motorcycle Council, said people who jumped on a bike without the necessary documentation were "immediate illegal risk takers" and posed a danger to themselves and other road users. Endit