The watchdog said distracted pedestrians straying into the path of trams were an increasing problem and "the rise of smartphone zombies doesn't show any sign of slowing". "Transport Safety Victoria is receiving an increasing number of reports about distracted pedestrians walking in front of, or into the side of, trams in Melbourne," said TSV's Director of Rail Safety Jodie Talone. "While there's a wide range of factors that can result in these types of incidents, we'd like to take this opportunity to remind people to stay alert around tram tracks, and hold on when you're on board."

A breakdown of the 61 serious injuries reveals distracted pedestrians were not the biggest cause of injuries. Half of the reported incidents occurred on a tram. There were seven incidents in which a pedestrian was seriously injured from being hit by a tram, and 32 serious injuries from falls on board a tram. Thirteen people were badly hurt while getting on or off a tram. One Yarra Trams employee was seriously injured in an electrical incident at the Preston workshops. Transport Safety Victoria said it was working with Yarra Trams to investigate the increase in serious injuries on and around trams. There are different theories as to what has caused the spike in people getting hurt.

A Yarra Trams spokesperson blamed some of the increase on poor driving habits and an increase in traffic density. "Many of our incidents are as a result of drivers turning in front of trams or other unsafe road behaviours," she said. "We're working closer than ever with our road partners to improve safety on our network, specifically around vehicle-to-tram incidents and serious injuries." Daniel Bowen, spokesman for the Public Transport Users Association, said many seats had been stripped from trams in recent years to create more standing room, which made falls more likely.

"I suspect the proportion of passengers who are standing now when they are on the tram is much higher than in the past, partly because of crowding but also because on some of the trams there are so few seats," Mr Bowen said. "If you're standing up, even if you're bracing yourself, a sudden stop really can have an impact." Many sudden stops can be attributed to tram drivers hitting the brakes to avoid a vehicle that has entered its path. The figures show there were 962 collisions between trams and vehicles last year, almost three a day on average, and the worst result in at least five years. The number of slips, trips and falls, 285, was the highest in 10 years and represented a 41 per cent increase in one year.

Victorian Greens leader Greg Barber blamed overcrowding. "It's the shocking level of overcrowding that's causing these accidents," he said. "You can barely reach a handhold, it's a struggle to get on and off and people standing up are very vulnerable if the tram suddenly stops." Yarra Trams plans to increase the number of strap hangers on its E-Class trams and is installing safety cameras on board trams to give drivers greater internal and external visibility.