Grand Final sirens to sound

GEELONG police are not dropping the ball over the Grand Final long weekend, as they crack down on road trauma as part of a statewide operation.

Operation Scoreboard will start tomorrow with police targeting driver impairment, including drink and drug driving.

Geelong Highway Patrol Acting Senior Sergeant Peter Quick said dangerous driving would not be tolerated.

“Operation Scoreboard is a highly visible police operation and we will have as many units as we can specifically targeting drivers who are speeding, under the influence of drugs or alcohol, or distracted,” Sen-Sgt Quick said.

“Our stats show that those factors are the major causes of our collisions.”

He said drivers still needed to remember to drive to the conditions on the road.

Police would be out in force on major roads, back roads and feeder roads, and would set up multiple breath-testing sites, he said.

“Drivers can expect to be stopped and breath tested,” Sen-Sgt Quick said.

Road Policing Command Assistant Commissioner Stephen Leane said public holidays typically led to increased risk on the roads, and urged people to think twice before they get behind the wheel.

“The Grand Final weekend is one Victorians love to celebrate but it can take a split second for a poor decision to turn to tragedy,” Mr Leane said.

“Too often we see the irreversible consequences of drink and drug driving, and the ripple effect that can have on families, friends and loved ones.”

The operation runs from today until midnight on Sunday.

In July, the Addy revealed a 2.5km of Thompson Rd — including a section of its Shannon Ave continuation — was the region’s deadliest stretch for drivers, claiming four lives this year.

Since February three people have died in crashes along Thompson Rd while another person died on Shannon Ave.

During this period, four more fatalities were registered across Greater Geelong’s road network.

Last month Lara MP John Eren promised to reduce a section of the road from two lanes to one as part of a six-month trial.

Mr Eren said that a single lane in each direction would be introduced as part of a sixmonth trial to address a significant history of crashes on the road.