Drink drivers show disregard

VICTORIA — Police are astounded at the number of drink and drug drivers caught during the first four days of a major statewide road policing operation.

Despite numerous warnings for motorists to expect widespread alcohol and drug testing throughout December, police have detected 328 impaired drivers since Operation Roadwise commenced last Thursday, December 18.

In four days, police conducted 63,007 preliminary breath tests and caught 201 drivers over the blood alcohol limit – a strike rate of one in every 313 drivers tested.

A further 127 drivers were caught drug driving, with police conducting 2372 roadside drug tests.

Detections of note include:

• • A 21-year-old Narre Warren man returned an alleged evidentiary breath test of 0.253 per cent BAC after crashing his vehicle into the centre barrier on the Monash Freeway on Jackson Road around 10:20pm on Saturday night.
    

    His licence was immediately suspended, and he will appear in court at a later date.

    
    
• • A 27-year-old Thomastown woman was detected by State Highway Patrol at an alleged speed of 142km/h in the 80km/h section of the Citylink/Tullamarine Freeway.
    

    The driver was intercepted and returned an alleged evidentiary breath test of 0.145 per cent BAC. Her licence was immediately suspended and her vehicle impounded for 30 days.

    
    

    She will appear in court at a later date.

    
    
• • A 21-year-old North Melbourne woman returned an alleged evidentiary breath test of 0.136 per cent BAC after rolling her vehicle following a collision with a parked vehicle on Mount Alexander Road, Ascot Vale around 2:10am on Sunday morning.
    

    Her licence was immediately suspended and she was issued an infringement for drink driving.

    
    
• • A 21-year-old Wangaratta man was detected by Wodonga Highway Patrol at an alleged speed of 159km/h in a 110km/h zone on the Hume Highway, Barnawartha North around 4pm on Saturday afternoon.
    

    The driver was intercepted and returned an alleged positive roadside drug test. The driver’s car was impounded for 30 days and he will appear in court at a later date.

    
    

Overall, police have detected a total 3,814 offences during the first four days of Operation Roadwise (December 18-21), including:

• • 1519 speeding offences;
• • 378 unregistered vehicles;
• • 303 disqualified/suspended and unlicenced drivers;
• • 251 disobey signs/signals offences;
• • 201 drink driving offences from 63,007 PBT’s at a strike rate of 1:313;
• • 146 mobile phone offences;
• • 127 drug driving offences from 2372 roadside drug tests at a strike rate of 1:19;
• • 75 vehicle impounds; and
• • 58 seat belt offences.

The high number of detections has prompted another police warning prior to Christmas, with police urging all motorists to separate drinking and driving.

Police will be working around the clock over the Christmas period, with alcohol and drug testing blitzes set to continue into the new year.

Motorists are again being warned to expect to be tested anywhere, any time.

Operation Roadwise will continue into January and will see police highly visible across the state’s roads.

There will be a significant focus on major arterials to coastal areas and holidays hotspots from Boxing Day with many Victorians expected to hit the state’s roads.

For more information and tips for staying safe on the roads during the festive period, visit the Road Safety page on the Victoria Police website.