Motorists across the state have had their say, placing the Northern Hwy between Echuca and Heathcote 10th overall in RACV’s 2026 My Country Road survey.
Across the north-west, it scored an even grimmer second place, surpassed only by the Loddon Valley Hwy.
Gathered from more than 6000 motorist submissions, the survey paints a stark picture of regional travel.
An overwhelming 71 per cent of drivers highlighted deteriorating bitumen and rough potholes as their biggest safety concerns, while others pointed to poor signage, faded line markings and a lack of overtaking lanes.
The fallout is already showing on the roadside.
RACV emergency crews attended more than 8200 flat tyre callouts in regional Victoria between July and September alone — a massive 20 per cent leap in just three months.
Wheel and tyre issues now account for nearly one in six regional breakdowns.
Four major breakdown hotspots — Warrnambool, Wallan, Shepparton and Wodonga —sit directly along corridors flagged by frustrated drivers.
RACV head of public policy James Williams said drivers were fed up with neglect.
“Victorians have told us the state’s crumbling road network is what worries them most,” Mr Williams said.
“Winter rain across July and August highlighted the ongoing maintenance challenges facing many regional roads and reinforced the importance of timely repairs.”
State Nationals candidate for Murray Plains Brett Hosking has been pounding local roads for months, literally, in his campaign about the state of regional roads.
Mr Hosking said the damning RACV report was another “overwhelming confirmation” of what had happened to Victoria’s regional road network in the past decade.
“Pouring hotmix in potholes of major arterial highways is like putting a band-aid on a gunshot wound – it’s ridiculous,” he said.
“When elected, a Nationals government will begin the road back with our road safety, but even with the $5 billion we have committed, it is going to be a massive, and long-term task, to make our roads safe again.”
Response to the survey was huge, generating over 10,000 fix-it requests.
Resurfacing dominated calls for action at 73 per cent, while 11 per cent wanted lane duplication.
Conducted with the Australian Automobile Association, the initiative combined crash history and traffic volume data to identify 52 high-risk stretches of road.
While the Northern Hwy made the top 10, the Princes Hwy West claimed the top two spots statewide (Colac to Camperdown and Portland to Port Fairy), with the Loddon Valley Hwy rounding out the top three.
RACV plans to use the findings to advocate for targeted funding and urgent maintenance across regional Victoria.
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