The Victorian Government has ordered a wide-ranging review of the state’s dangerous driving laws, raising the prospect of tougher penalties and new offences for motorists responsible for fatal and serious injury crashes.

The Victorian Law Reform Commission has been tasked with conducting a 20-month review into whether existing laws adequately reflect the consequences of dangerous driving and whether offenders are being held to account. The commission is expected to deliver its findings by March 2028.

Among the issues under consideration are whether current offences are sufficiently clear, whether penalties are appropriate, and whether stronger or additional offences should be introduced for the most serious cases. The review will also examine the potential for new aggravated offences or a mid-tier offence where negligent driving results in death or serious injury.

The announcement comes as Victoria continues to grapple with a high road toll. According to the state government, 291 people died on Victorian roads in 2025, following 284 fatalities in 2024 and 295 in 2023. A further 139 lives have already been lost on the state’s roads so far in 2026.

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Attorney-General Sonya Kilkenny said community expectations had helped shape the decision to launch the review, with families of road crash victims calling for stronger laws following a number of high-profile cases.

“Victorians expect strong laws that match the devastating consequences of dangerous driving, because community safety comes first,” Kilkenny said.

She said the review would help ensure Victoria’s serious driving laws remained “strong, clear and fit for purpose”.

The review follows growing public concern that some sentences handed down in fatal driving cases do not reflect the severity of the harm caused. One case that drew widespread attention involved the death of 11-year-old Jack Davey outside a Melbourne primary school in 2024, prompting renewed calls for reform from the victim’s family.

Roads and Road Safety Minister Ros Spence said every road death was a tragedy and the government wanted to ensure Victoria’s dangerous driving laws remained effective in improving road safety.