Long weekend operation stings bad drivers

POLICE detected almost 8000 traffic offences during a five-day road policing operation over the Easter long weekend.

Operation Nexus saw police highly visible and actively enforcing across the state in an effort to reduce road trauma.

It follows a shocking start to the year on Victoria’s roads with 89 lives lost, up 25 per cent on the five-year average.

Good Friday accounted for almost a quarter of all detections over the Easter period, with 101 motorists caught drink and drug driving on this day alone.

More than a third of all offences detected were for speeding, with almost 80 per cent of motorists detected 
between 10km/h and 25km/h over the speed limit.

Almost a quarter of speeding offences were detected on Easter Monday, the final day of the operation.

Mobile phone offences jumped 31 per cent from last year’s Easter road policing operation with 343 motorists caught using their phones while driving.

Police also detected and removed 529 unauthorised drivers from roads, including suspended, disqualified and unlicensed drivers.

Across the Bass Coast Police Service Area, offences during Operation Nexus included:

• 7 drink drivers

• 2 drug drivers

• 2 disqualified drivers

• 1 unlicensed drivers

• 45 speeding offences

• 2 disobey signs/signals

• 2 seatbelt offences

• 1 mobile phone offences

• 14 unregistered vehicles

“We had a lot of tourist traffic, but overall people were generally good, with only one main collision at the intersection of Soldiers Road and Bass Highway, Bass,” Senior Sergeant, Eastern Region Division 5 Road Policing, Jason Hullick stated.

“There were no lives lost in Bass Coast over the Easter period, but it is disappointing that we are still catching people speeding and testing positive to drugs and alcohol.

“It is a reminder for people to continue planning their journeys safely and make alternative arrangements home.”

State-wide there were two lives lost on Victorian roads over the Easter period, with single-vehicle fatal collisions in White Hills on Friday and Wangaratta on Sunday.

With five lives lost to date in April, police enforcement will continue across the state throughout the school holiday period and the unofficial Anzac Day long weekend later this month.

“Everyone thinks road trauma won’t happen to them, until it’s too late. Don’t let your complacency be the reason for another death or serious injury on our roads,” Assistant Commissioner Road Policing, Glenn Weir added.