A Victoria Police operation focussing on road safety since the opening of the metro-regional border has returned a disappointingly large number of road users flouting the rules.
Operation Compass, a state-wide operation to try and influence bad driver behaviour, kicked off on 12 November and saw police using an intelligence-based approach to target locations here law-breaking drivers were expected to be.
Police issued over 7000 infringements for speeding offences during the operation, with almost two thirds of these for exceeding the speed limit by 10km/h to 25km/h.
As Victorians returned to enjoying restaurants, pubs and wineries, police were conducting both PBTs and drug tests to get impaired drivers off the roads, with over 800 impaired drivers issued with infringements.
Across the 15-day operation, 410 people were caught drink driving and 454 people with drugs in their system.
Victoria Police was also frustrated in the fact that more than 800 people were caught using their mobile phone while driving.
Road Policing Command Assistant Commissioner Libby Murphy said that we cannot become complacent about our behaviour on the road.“It is baffling to me that people continue to speed and put themselves and others at risk. Exercising a little patience could be the difference between you making it on time to your destination, or never making it at all – it’s a no brainer.”
- Road Policing Command Assistant Commissioner Libby Murphy Police also noted that many people are starting to drive longer distances than they may have for many months, and urge road users to drive safely and to the conditions.
More than 16,827 traffic offences and 1,545 crime offences were detected during Operation Compass, including:- 7,092 speeding offences
- 369 disqualified/suspended drivers
- 617 unlicensed drivers
- 1,859 unregistered vehicles
- 837 mobile phone offences
- 854 disobey signs/signals
- 269 vehicle impounds
- 372 seatbelt offences
Operation Compass ran from Thursday to Sunday over each of the last three weekends of November.
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