Operation Curdled

By Alice Dell (3rd Yr LaTrobe Uni)

The biggest traffic operation in the Moorabool Shire’s recent history, ‘Operation Curdled’, has been conducted, with over 2,000 vehicles intercepted over the two days it was active.

The highly visible operation was conducted on the Western Highway in Bungaree on Friday 17 November and Saturday 18 November, with the aim of improving community safety and reducing road trauma.

Operation Curdled saw police targeting all high-risk driving behaviours and non-compliance, such as speed, impairment, and distracted driving.

Police also had a focus on unlicensed driving and unregistered vehicles.

A total of 39 infringements were issued over the weekend. There were ten speeding offences, 11 unregistered vehicles, five unsafe vehicles, two unlicensed drivers, two unregistered trailers, two insecure loads, an offence of failure to display P plates and an unaccompanied learner.

There were 1876 breath tests and 39 roadside drug tests conducted throughout the operation, catching four drink drivers and three with drugs in their system.

Moorabool Highway Patrol Sergeant, Craig Kelso, says that Operation Curdled was a huge success.

“We were surprised with the number of drink drivers detected – it is concerning that we seem to be detecting more drivers over the limit. We need people to completely separate these behaviours – drinking and driving do not mix.” he told the Moorabool News.

The operation was conducted with the assistance of the State Highway Patrol as well as members from the Ballarat, Moorabool & Northern Grampians Highway Patrols, Victoria Police’ Heavy Vehicle Unit & Drug and Alcohol Section, the SES, Vic Roads, the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator, Ballarat Police & the WD3 Drone Unit.

“We’ll be looking to conduct Operation Curdled again in the future, and we’ll certainly be running several other road policing operations over the remainder of the year,” says Sergeant Craig Kelso.

“Motorists should expect to be intercepted and tested, as we’ll be doing everything we can to prevent trauma on our roads.”