Illicit drug use continues to outstrip alcohol as a contributing factor in Victoria's rising road toll, police say.
Victoria's road toll rose for the third consecutive year in 2015 to a provisional total of 257, up from 249 in 2014 and a record low of 243 in 2013.
Victoria Police Assistant Commission Doug Fryer says drug-driving is increasingly prevalent in the state's road deaths.
"The last three consecutive years, we have seen illicit drugs overtake alcohol as a contributing factor in fatal crashes," Mr Fryer told reporters on Friday.
"This should be a significant concern for all of the community."
News that makes sense
Your trusted source for staying up-to-date with the world around you. Get free daily news updates and analysis, straight to your inbox.
Operation Roadwise, which has been operating on the state's roads since December 13 in a bid to curb the toll, shows that "a change in driver behaviour is absolutely needed".
Since December 13, 360,000 drivers have been breath tested so far, with 738 drink drivers detected, or one in 500 motorists.
Over the same people, of 5200 drivers tested, 460 people (or one in 11) tested positive to illicit drugs.
In just four hours from 5.30am on New Year's Day, highway patrol police detected 23 drug drivers and 22 drunk drivers on Victoria's roads, Mr Fryer said.
While there have been reductions in the numbers of pedestrians killed in fatal crashes involving heavy vehicles, high-risk behaviour and minor errors were present in the vast majority of deaths in 2015.
"Out of 257 lives lost, that's 108 lives that were caused by high-risk behaviour like high speed, drug use, alcohol use and abuse," Mr Fryer said.
"Fifty-four per cent of the lives lost ... were from minor distractions and minor issues, so we know that travelling at 100km/h, should you make a mistake, that could well end in loss of life."
Mr Fryer said all Victorians must take responsibility for road safety.
"We all need to understand that road trauma does not just happen to other people, it does happen to the people you know," he said.
"Talk to your friends, talk to your relatives, talk to your colleagues and someone will know someone who has died or been seriously injured in road trauma."
VICTORIA'S ROAD TOLL BY THE NUMBERS
* 2015 deaths - 257 (up from 249 in 2014)
* serious injuries - 4950 (down from 5131 in 2014)
* pedestrian deaths - 32 (down from 44 in 2014)
* metropolitan deaths - 129 (up from 126 in 2014)
* country deaths - 129 (up from 123 in 2014)
* males killed - 186
* females killed - 71
* motorcyclists killed - 29 (down from 30 in 2014)
* deaths involving heavy vehicles - 46 (down from 56 in 2014)
