POLICE detected almost 100 speeding drivers in the Gannawarra and Swan Hill regions during a four-day statewide road policing operation over the Labour Day long weekend.
Police ramped up enforcement during Operation Arid following a shocking start to the year on Victoria’s roads.
There were 74 lives lost in the first 73 days of the year, a figure 45 per cent higher than the same time last year and the five-year average – both 51.
Speeding, impaired driving, mobile phone use and unauthorised driving were the key issues detected by police during the four-day operation.
In the Swan Hill police service area, which covers the Buloke, Gannawarra and Swan Hill local government areas, there were 92 speeding offences, seven unregistered vehicles, six drug-drivers, three unlicensed drivers, two drink-drivers, two disqualified drivers and one impoundment.
No mobile phone or seatbelt offences were detected.
During the same operation last year, police nabbed fewer speeding drivers (64 offences) and 15 unregistered vehicles.
Across the state, more than a third of offences related to speeding, with almost 80 per cent of speeding motorists detected between 10km/h and 25km/h over the speed limit.
There were almost as many drug-drivers caught as drink-drivers, with 198 drink-driving offences and 192 drug-driving offences detected.
Mobile phone offences jumped
23 per cent from the last statewide operation in January, with 323 motorists caught using their phones while driving.
Unauthorised driving accounted for 396 offences, with police using automatic numberplate recognition technology to detect and remove disqualified, suspended and unlicensed drivers from the road.
There were two lives lost on Victorian roads during the long weekend, with fatal collisions in Barnawartha North and Wangaratta.
Assistant commissioner of road policing Glenn Weir said the majority of people did the right thing on the roads, considering the high traffic volumes.
“Disappointingly though, we continue to detect motorists for the type of behaviour that’s been contributing to road trauma this year – that being speed, distraction, and impaired driving,” Mr Weir said.
“It is simply not good enough to just ignore the warnings – the reality is, there has been more lives lost on our roads than there have been days this year.”
