Ballarat region flagged in Easter road blitz

Ballarat and Moorabool have been named among the top areas in Victoria for collisions involving impaired drivers with passengers, prompting a police crackdown over the Easter and Anzac Day long weekends.

Operation Compass begins on Thursday and will see a statewide push to stop drug and alcohol-affected drivers, with extra focus on regional roads.

Over the past two years, police data shows 385 injury crashes and 18 deaths involved drivers under the influence with others in the car.

Road Policing Assistant Commissioner Glenn Weir said drivers and passengers alike must take responsibility.

“These drivers haven’t just made an incredibly poor choice by getting behind the wheel impaired, they’ve selfishly chosen to put the lives of their passengers at risk,” Weir said.

“The worst thing you can do as a passenger is to be a bystander and think that safety is not your responsibility.”

The data revealed 403 impaired drivers and 586 passengers were involved in these collisions, with young people making up the majority. Over 32 per cent of impaired drivers were aged 18 to 24, with almost a quarter of passengers aged 17 and under.

Males made up 73 per cent of impaired drivers, while passenger gender was more evenly split.

Of the impaired drivers, 46 per cent had consumed alcohol, 43 per cent had taken drugs, and 11 per cent were affected by both.

Ballarat and Moorabool ranked among the top five Victorian regions for impaired passenger crashes, along with Geelong, Bendigo, and outer Melbourne.

During last year’s Easter and Anzac Day campaign, police conducted more than 246,000 breath tests and 5,000 drug tests, detecting hundreds of impaired drivers.

This year’s campaign will again focus on regional roads leading to holiday destinations, with enforcement also targeting speed, seatbelt offences, distraction and fatigue.

“We just want everyone to make it home safely to their families this Easter, and we’ll be doing everything we can to ensure that happens,” Weir said.