Of the 29 fatalities recorded across the 11 municipalities in the Grampians region, 15 were single-vehicle collisions which occurred on the roadside, with a further nine people losing their lives in head-on crashes.

The tragic trend was consistent across all of Victoria, with road runoffs accounting for the bulk of fatalities in every region of the state. 

In a statement TAC chief executive Joe Calafiore said the trend highlighted the importance of building a road system which was more forgiving on driver error. 

“We know most people are doing the right thing, and the majority of journeys on roads in the Grampians are safe ones, however, every death on our roads is an unacceptable and preventable tragedy,” Mr Calafiore said.

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While the road fatality rate across the state in 2017 dropped by a substantial 33 on a horror year in 2016, regional and rural road users continued to be well over represented.

Of the 257 people who lost their lives on Victorian roads in 2017, 155 of the deaths occurred outside of metropolitan Melbourne, up from 150 in 2016. 

The data comes as the state government rolls out its more than $1 billion road safety package, which includes the construction of more than 2000 kilometres of wire road barriers along some of regional Victoria’s most dangerous stretches of road. 

Among the roads set to benefit from the roll-out is the Midland Highway, with the dangerous stretch between Ballarat and Creswick receiving a series of upgrades. 

All up $12 million will be spent along the highway to install flexible safety barriers, three new roundabouts at Millers Road, Cummins Road and Kennedys Road, as well as new overtaking lanes and wider road shoulders by the end of 2018. 

The danger road which crosses the Ballarat City and Hepburn Shire municipalities saw 19 crashes in the five years leading to December 2015.

In a statement Roads Minister Luke Donnellan said “drivers on country roads are four times more likely to be killed on our roads than drivers in the city – it’s simply unacceptable”.

“We’re investing in the things that we know save lives on country roads, rolling out more than 2000 kilmometres of flexible safety barriers, thousands of kilometres of rumble strips as well as new turning and overtaking lanes.”

Speaking to Fairfax Media, Mr Donnellan also cast aside concerns around motorcyclist safety, saying “there is no evidence in the world which indicates these barriers do anything but save lives, full stop”.