Wimmera police tally road offences

Wimmera police detected 101 traffic offences during a four-day statewide road policing operation across the Labour Day long weekend.

Police caught three drug drivers, three unlicensed drivers, 36 speeding offences, three disobey signs or signals, one seatbelt offence and three unregistered vehicles in the Horsham police service area.

In the Northern Grampians police service area, police detected two drink drivers, five drug drivers, one unlicensed driver, 36 speeding offences, two disobey signs or signals, three seatbelt offences, one mobile phone offence and two unregistered vehicles.

Across the state, police recorded almost 7000 traffic offences during Operation Arid, which saw police ramp up enforcement for the long weekend.

There have been 75 lives lost within the first three months of the year, 45 percent higher than the same time last year and the five-year average – both 51.

There have been 11 lives lost to date in March – historically the highestrisk month on Victorian roads.

Assistant Commissioner of road policing Glenn Weir said considering high traffic volumes and good weather across the long weekend, the majority of people on Victorian roads did the right thing.

“Disappointingly, though, we continue to detect motorists for the type of behaviour that’s been contributing to road trauma this year – that being speed, distraction and impaired driving,” he said.

“It is simply not good enough to just ignore the warnings.

“The reality is, there have been more lives lost on our roads than there have been days this year.

“Police are constantly engaging with the community to educate first and enforce when the message does not get through, and we make no apologies for this. We are doing everything we can to reduce trauma on our roads.

“March is a busy time with footy returning, lots of major events and good weather – so if you’re out and about, you can expect us to be out too.”

More than one third of offences related to speeding, with almost 80 percent of speeding motorists travelling between 10kmh and 25kmh above the speed limit.

The total 6764 offences recorded during Operation Arid included 2573 speeding offences, 727 unregistered vehicles, 396 disqualified, suspended and unlicenced drivers, 323 mobile phone offences, 313 disobey signs or signals; 198 drink-driving offences from 107,435 preliminary breath tests, 192 drug-driving offences from 3454 roadside drug tests, 159 seatbelt offences and 123 vehicle impoundments.

There were two lives lost on Victorian roads throughout the long weekend, with fatal collisions in Barnawartha North on Saturday and Wangaratta on Monday.