More than 3000 traffic offences have been detected in just two days as Victoria Police’s long weekend enforcement effort surpasses its halfway point.
Speeding, distraction and unauthorised driving have emerged as key issues during Operation Arid, which continues until the end of Monday 13 March.
A total 73 lives have been lost on Victoria’s roads since January, up from 51 at the same time last year.
There has been 10 deaths in the first 11 days of March.
Assistant Commissioner for Road Policing, Glenn Weir said police will continue to patrol right across the long weekend, targeting behaviours that are costing lives.
“That’s speed, that’s distraction, that’s fatigue and that’s not wearing a seatbelt,” he said.
“We are doing all we can and we’re pleading with the community to take responsibility behind the wheel.”
Police are focusing on both major arterials and rural roads as part of Operation Arid, which began on Friday 10 March.
The operation is targeting the major contributors of road trauma including speeding, impaired drivers, distraction, fatigue, seatbelts and unauthorised driving.
March is historically the highest-risk month on Victoria’s roads with collisions in both rural and metropolitan areas peaking during the month over the last five years.
Provisional results from the first two days of Operation Arid show 3273 traffic offences have been detected so far.
The results include:
• 1314 speeding offences;
• 103 drink driving offences from 45,097 tests, a strike rate of one in 438;
• 63 drug driving offences from 1384 tests, a strike rate of 1 in 22;
• 84 disqualified or suspended drivers;
• 100 unlicensed drivers;
• 336 unregistered vehicles;
• 171 mobile phone offences
• 160 disobey signs or signals;
• 61 vehicle impounds; and
• 70 seatbelt offences
Of motorists detected speeding, more than a thousand were between 10km/h and 25km/h over the speed limit.
Around 130 were travelling more than 25km/h over the posted speed.
For more information and tips for staying safe on the roads visit the Road Safety page on the Victoria Police website.
