The Inquiry into the increase in Victoria's road toll was established in June 2019 to look at why the state had failed to reach its road safety targets under the previous road safety strategy, Towards Zero.

Northern Grampians Shire councilor Kevin Erwin said while road safety concerns were welcomed, the roads in the region were often overlooked due to a lack of traffic volume.

"The section between Ararat and Stawell has been highlighted by truck drivers as one that is the worst on the highway," he said.

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"There has been a number of accidents between Stawell and Great Western where people have lost their lives and that is very sad."

Legislative Council's Economy and Infrastructure Committee made 36 recommendations relating to road standards, data collection, driver training and behavior, and vehicle safety.

Recommendations for regional roads included a review of all speed limits as a matter of priority. The government was also urged to report its road maintenance priorities, which include a predicted star rating for all road projects.

Mr Erwin said he understood the need for a star rating system from a governance point of view, but thought it would not address the real concerns affecting regional roads.

"To have a star rating is probably an easy out for a government - to say 'we'll just put the stars on the road and that will do it' and force road users to slow down instead of fixing the road and fixing the problem," he said.

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"If you put a star rating on it we probably have a lot of one-star rated roads in the area, unfortunately."

A representative on the Northern Grampians Shire Council and Western Highway Action Committee, Mr Erwin said a lack of funding and low traffic volumes were what hurts the region's roads the most.

"There's a fair bit of work to do and there's a fair bit of money required to do it," he said.

"We have tried to apply for a substantial amount of funding to fix some of the narrow seals and we didn't get there. Dollars are what is required to fix some of the roads here.

"The government schemes that come out, a lot of the time we (Stawell) do not fit the criteria because we do not have the volume.

"They have spent a lot of money fixing level crossings in Melbourne, and no doubt they are needed too, but you still have accidents and deaths in country areas. Until they put some serious dollars toward it the problem is still going to be there."

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Mr Erwin said the Western Highway was an area of particular concern for driver behaviour, as many motorists choose to make the trip from Melbourne to Adelaide with little stop overs.

He said his concerns peaked around Easter, when many tourists made the trip to Stawell for the Gift.

"It is very sad to see decades on and it still isn't fixed. When you are driving along from Melbourne to Adelaide fatigue sets in," he said.

"There seem to be a lot more stops along the way that allows drivers to stop and rest. People get anxious and want to get somewhere but I think they need to plan their trips."

Economy and Infrastructure Committee chair Enver Erdogan said the use of a star rating system alongside community consultation would help bring the state's road toll down.

"A star safety rating for roads exists, with one-star being the least safe and five-star being the safest," he said.

"Research suggests fatalities and serious injuries are halved for each incremental improvement to the road's condition."

Shadow Minister for Rural Roads Roma Britnell said the inquiry's findings and suggestion to lower speed limits, was a "band-aid solution".

Ms Britnell said the Victorian government needed to have a "holistic approach" to regional road safety and thought the inquiry failed to recognise poor road surfaces as a factor in road fatalities.

"Labor needs to look at the problem as a whole and actually invest in fixing road surfaces to make them safer for motorists, not just stick up a sign and walk away," she said.

"It's a lazy option and isn't the way to fix safety issues on our roads."

The committee also encouraged cooperation between the state's road safety partners and more transparent data collection.

Other areas addressed included improved community engagement when installing wire rope barriers, and laws that addressed driver behaviour.

For more information on the inquiry, visit https://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/eic-lc/article/4296.

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