While footy fans enjoyed the long weekend, Victoria Police detected 63 traffic offences in Hume and Macedon Ranges as part of Operation Scoreboard.
The four day, statewide operation saw police targeting high-risk driving behaviour, from 12:01am Thursday, September 28 to 11:59pm Sunday, October 1, with a particular focus on drink and drug driving.
In the Macedon Ranges, police detected 21 speeding offences, seven unregistered vehicles, two drink driving offences, one disqualified driver, one unlicensed driver and one offence of disobeying signs/signals.
In Hume, there were 16 speeding offences, three unregistered vehicles, one drink driving offence, one disqualified driver, one unlicensed driver, seven offences of disobeying signs/signals and one impoundment.
Across the state 5483 offences were detected, including a strike rate of one in 529 drivers caught over the blood alcohol limit.
Road Policing Assistant Commissioner Glenn Weir said it was a busy weekend as Victorians made the most of the long weekend and fantastic spring weather.
“This also meant a busy weekend for Victoria Police [who]… focused heavily on drink and drug drivers,” he said.
“While pleasingly the majority of those tested were doing the right thing, we still detected 343 drink and drug driving offences- this is unacceptable.
“It was a tragic period on the roads with four lives lost in separate collisions… [bringing] the number of lives lost now [to] a seven year high.
“It is paramount that we all do everything we can to stop more trauma on our roads this year. Now is not the time to be complacent.”
The four lives lost over the weekend include a 25-year old Newborough man, 41-year old Eltham North male motorcyclist, a 19-year old Cowes male passenger and a 21-year old Frankston male passenger.
The weekend’s fatalities bring the number of lives lost on Victorian roads this year to 216, which is 29 higher than the same time last year and the highest in seven years.
