Traffic is seen on the West Gate Bridge in Melbourne, Australia, on Feb. 9, 2024. AAP Image/Con Chronis
Tougher penalties are on the cards for killer motorists as one state reviews its dangerous driving laws.
The 20-month review of Victoria’s driving laws will probe whether current consequences hold offenders to account.
The Victorian Law Reform Commission will look at whether offences are clear enough, penalties are tough enough and whether stronger offences will better hold dangerous drivers to account.
It will also consider if new aggravated offences or a mid-tier offence should apply when negligent driving causes death or serious injury.
Victoria’s road toll has been rising in the past five years, with 291 lives lost in 2025, 284 in 2024, and 295 in 2023.
Dangerous drivers who have recently faced Victoria’s court system include Shaymaa Oun Ghazi Zuhaira, who walked away with a fine despite killing 11-year-old Jack Davey when her SUV ploughed through a primary school fence.
Zuhaira was pulling out of a parallel park outside the school when she claimed to have “lost control” of her SUV, mounted the median strip and drove through the school fence and onto the picnic table.
She was unable to explain the offending but said she had been traumatised by a meeting with the school principal before the crash.
The crash also seriously injured three other children.
Zuhaira was convicted and fined $2,000 after pleading guilty to careless driving.
Jack’s grieving parents Michael and Jayde Davey called for a review of licensing laws in Victoria and asked legislators to come to the table to discuss how Zuhaira was only charged with careless driving, rather than a more serious offence such as dangerous driving causing death.
“This process has highlighted inadequacies in the laws governing careless driving and the absence of an appropriate charge for the type of driving that occurred in this case,” Davey said outside the court in September on the day Zuhaira was sentenced.
“We welcome a discussion with legislators to bring Victorian road laws in line with other states.”
So far, 139 people have died on Victorian roads since January 2026.
Victorian Attorney-General Sonya Kilkenny said feedback from families who lost loved ones on the road had shaped her decision to call the review.
“Victorians expect strong laws that match the devastating consequences of dangerous driving, because under Labor, community safety comes first,” Kilkenny said on Sunday.
“This review will help keep Victorians safe and ensure our serious driving laws remain strong, clear and fit for purpose.”
The commission will report back in March 2028.
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By Melissa Meehan
