Op targets high-risk drivers

A POLICE operation across major arterial roads, including in Moorabool Shire, has detected more than one hundred and fifty offences in one day.

Operation West Connect saw highway patrol units enforcing across major arterial roads in Western Victoria, targeting high-risk driving behaviour.

One hundred and four lives have been lost so far on Victorian roads, 28 of those occurring in Western Victoria, highlighting the need for drivers to stay focused and drive within the speed limit.

Sixty per cent of offences detected during the operation on Friday 10 May related to speeding, with 76 motorists detected as driving between 10 kilometres per hour and 25 kilometres per hour over the speed limit.

Unregistered vehicles (12), mobile phone offences (6), drug driving (4), drink driving (3), and seatbelt offences (3) were also detected.

Operation West Connect will continue across Western Victoria, encompassing major arterial roads from Geelong, Bacchus Marsh, Bendigo and Echuca, as far west as the South Australian border, and from the Surf Coast, Warrnambool and Portland as far north as the NSW Border.

“Speeding on regional roads continues to be a major contributing factor to serious injury and fatal collisions, and yet it’s evident so many motorists are not heeding the warnings as we are continuing to detect far too many people speeding,” said Western Region Road Policing Inspector, Justine Ryan.

“We need drivers to slow down and keep to the speed limits, particularly on regional roads. They are in place to keep all road users safe.

“Operation West Connect is an ongoing road policing initiative and motorists should expect to see police out enforcing across major arterials in Western Victoria.

“We’re doing everything we can to drive down road trauma in the state’s west.”