As Victorians across the state enjoyed their long weekend and tried to stay cool, Victoria Police detected 42 traffic offences in Hume and Macedon Ranges as part of Operation Arid.
The four day, statewide operation saw police targeting high-risk driving behaviour, from 12.01am Friday, March 8 to 11.15pm Monday, March 11, with a particular focus on drink and drug driving as several music festivals were planned for the weekend.
In the Macedon Ranges, police detected 18 speeding offences, three unregistered vehicles, three drink driving offences, one drug driving offence, one disqualified driver, three unlicensed drivers, one mobile phone offence and one offence of disobeying signs/signals.
In Hume, there were six speeding offences, one drink driving offence, one disqualified driver, one unlicensed driver, one offence of disobeying signs/signals and one mobile phone offence.
Across the state 6488 traffic offences were recorded as part of Operation Arid, including five deaths.
Extreme speed and seatbelt usage were also noted as areas of concern by police, with 2843 speeding drivers detected and 117 motorists failing to wear a seat belt or not wearing one properly.
While this was a key concern pointed out by police, both Hume and Macedon Ranges recorded zero seatbelt offences as part of the operation.
Road Policing Acting Assistant Commissioner John Fitzpatrick said the number of drivers police saw speeding on the long weekend is simply unacceptable.
“To think so many people were driving at extreme speeds is even more worrying,” he said.
“At high speed there’s little room for error and the consequences of a mistake are magnified. To put it bluntly, it’s a recipe for disaster.
“We’re also seeing too many people getting behind the wheel when they shouldn’t- be it for drinking, taking drugs or not having a licence.
“To find so many people driving around without a seatbelt is mindboggling. A seatbelt can’t save you if you’re not wearing it.
“These results should serve as a wake-up call to anyone doing the wrong thing on our roads.”
