Claim man six times the limit

A DRIVER allegedly blew more than six times the limit when pulled over by police on the Bellarine Peninsula.

The 48-year-old Manor Lakes man is expected to be charged on summons after recording a blood-alcohol reading of 0.334 on Friday.

He was intercepted by officers on the Bellarine Highway near Wallington at 4.20pm after members of the public called 000 to report erratic driving.

A Leopold man will also be charged on summons after recording a blood alcohol reading of 0.20 on Friday.

The 53-year-old was driving a light truck, which requires a zero blood alcohol reading, when he was pulled over by police on Dorothy St at Leopold at 6pm.

The incidents come as police run a campaign targeting reckless motorists using back roads and rat runs to dodge the law.

Bellarine Police will lead

Operation Backroads over the summer period in an aim to crack down on motorists driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs.

Bellarine Police sergeant Michael Knight said the operation aimed to put an end to the dangerous mentality that intoxicated motorists could get away with poor behaviour on out-of-the-way streets.

“There’s no coincidence we have a number of fatalities and serious collisions involving lifechanging injuries along some of these roads,” Sgt Knight said. “What we are doing is getting to those back roads to target drink and drug drivers in the area.”

Operation Backroads has been running for the past six weeks and will ramp up over the summer period.

Operation Barwon, a joint operation between police, fisheries, Maritime Safety Victoria and water police, will also kick off over summer, focusing on jet-ski education and enforcement.