One of those was in Arcadia, another at Pine Lodge.
Three-quarters of the 17 deaths occurred on regional roads.
Eleven of them were within 15km of the victims’ homes.
As the Victorian school holidays begin, police warn motorists to take extra care when travelling during April and will ramp up their road safety enforcement efforts.
An influx of vehicles will hit the highways and major arterials heading to holiday hotspots during the next fortnight up until and including Easter weekend.
Despite a dip in road trauma statistics during March, which is historically one of the state’s worst periods, police are urging motorists to remain attentive.
“While we did experience slightly lower-than-average road trauma during March, 20 fatalities for the month is still unacceptable as far as we’re concerned — that’s 20 families who will spend the upcoming Easter period without their loved ones,” Road Policing assistant commissioner Glenn Weir said.
“The only acceptable number of deaths on our roads is zero, which is why we cannot afford to be complacent as we head into April.”
Police urge motorists to stay alert and vigilant around built-up areas, particularly where children, pedestrians and other vulnerable road users might be.
In addition, they remind drivers to ensure passengers are wearing seatbelts, restrain infants properly in car seats, avoid distractions and take regular breaks on long trips to manage fatigue.
Daylight saving ends in Victoria at 3am on April 6, which means it will be darker earlier in the evening.
Police want motorists to adjust their driving to suit, including using their headlights to help see and be seen.
Several localised operations will be conducted in high-risk areas, culminating in a major statewide road policing blitz over the Easter and Anzac Day period.
Operation Compass will see police highly visible and enforcing across the state’s roads, commencing from April 17 for 10 days.
There have been 75 lives lost on Victorian roads this year, the same total as this time last year, with more than half of this year’s fatal collisions taking place on regional roads.
“Last year’s road trauma insights are just a stark reminder that it doesn’t matter whether you are driving close to home on familiar local roads, or travelling further away, the risk of road trauma is always present,” Asst Comm Weir said.
For more information and tips for staying safe on the roads during April, visit the Road Safety page on the Victoria Police website.
