OPERATION Regal concluded yesterday after a four day highly visible police blitz over the Queen’s Birthday long weekend that targeted poor driving behaviours.
As part of Operation Regal, Hamilton Highway Patrol members intercepted a 57-year-old female in Hamilton’s CBD yesterday morning who was unlicensed and three times the legal alcohol limit. The driver will be facing court later in the year for a combination of driving offences, with her car impounded on scene.
Hamilton Highway Patrol members also intercepted a 21-year-old male driver on Saturday morning who was detected travelling on the Glenelg Highway towards Dunkeld at 134 km/h. The driver was issued with an infringement notice with a $591 fine and will have his probationary licence suspended for three months.
Police had urged motorists to take extra care as deaths on country roads continued to outstrip the metropolitan toll, sitting at 64, 15 more than for the same period last year.
The long weekend was identified as a high-risk period on Victorian roads and police said their state-wide effort was aimed at speeding, alcohol, and drug-impaired drivers.
Motorists were urged to monitor the conditions, slow down, use headlights and leave extra space when driving in the wet with more wintery weather expected with particularly dangerous driving conditions, including slippery roads and poor visibility.
106 lives have been lost on Victorian roads this year and pedestrian fatalities have almost doubled to 17 compared with nine at the same time last year.
Despite restrictions limiting travel around the state in 2021, Victoria Police detected almost 5000 traffic infringements over the Queen’s Birthday long weekend.
Hamilton Highway Patrol unit commander, sergeant Darren Smart, said long weekends were historically high-risk periods on our roads, and the Queen’s Birthday long weekend presented additional challenges with wintery weather conditions, slippery roads and poor visibility.
“There (were) a lot of police and cameras during the highly visible operation,” he said.
“With more police back on the roads, you should expect to be caught if you’re disregarding the road rules.”
Operation Regal commenced at 12:01am Friday, June 10 and concluded at 23:59pm on Monday, June 13, 2022.
The tolls are recorded from the transport Accident Commission at time of print.
