Beware of complacency creeping in, adjust your speed to conditions and check your vehicle's safety rating were the top tips for Baw Baw drivers from the road policing forum.
With motorbike riders accounting for half of Baw Baw's road toll, a special message to "take it easy" was issued for those jumping back on the bike after an extended break.
And, for parents of teenagers, a simple request to put devices away and ask road rule questions during their next car trip.
Inspector Sonali Deshpande said it was up to every driver to take a look at their behaviours, emphasising "anyone is a ticking time bomb on the road; everyone can be a danger to themselves as well as the public."
She said those opting to display risky behaviours "are putting people's lives at danger, including themselves."
Enjoying Baw Baw's rural roads, motorbike riders often came from outside the region, including many from Casey and Cardinia. However, two motorbike riders had died this year.
Acting inspector Michael Cirksis said this continued a spike in motorbike fatalities since COVID which could be attributed to riders getting back into the pursuit.
His message to those returning to a bike was "take it easy", wear leathers and full face masks and, if taking part in a group ride, ask an experienced rider to hang back so you don't feel pressured to stay with the main group.
"It's an interest or hobby that does have some kind of danger attached," division five superintendent Tracie McDonald added.
Off road motorbike collisions also featured in local statistics despite supt McDonald's acknowledgment "they are often trying to do things in a safe manner."
Supt McDonald said complacency was a common factor in Baw Baw road trauma.
She said complacency crept in "because we have driven on that road so many times" and urged drivers to adjust speed and behaviour to account for conditions beyond fog, rain and sunshine.
A road may be in perfect condition one day but the next could see a gravel edge washed across the road or a piece of bitumen break away, she said. These changes often aren't obvious until a collision occurs.
Reflecting on his own parenting experiences, act insp Cirksis urged parents to quiz their teenagers and consider safety over "a bomb" for a first car purchase.
An ANCAP safety rating can be obtained for vehicles free via the TAC website.
Police also urged residents to be on the look out for dangers on our roads and report that pothole, broken sign, dangerous intersection or hoon behaviour to authorities.
"Locals are more often in touch with their surroundings than the authorities," act insp Cirksis said.
Division five road policing advisor senior sergeant Rod Gillow said "nothing's too big, nothing's too small; if you don't tell us, then we don't know about it."
"We can't do it by ourselves," he said. "It's a collective from everyone."
Supt McDonald said she was proud of Baw Baw Highway Patrol and their work.
"They definitely punch above their weight but there's only so many of them to go around," she said.
Supt McDonald reported local police were issuing lots of tickets, unsure if that acted as comfort or concern to residents.
"But (road trauma) is not one that we can tackle on our own purely through enforcement," she said.
"We can give out all the tickets we want, but if people aren't learning from it, what's the point?" snr sgt Gillow added.