OPERATION Arid, the long weekend police operation targeting impaired and dangerous driving, came to an end Tuesday morning after police detected almost 7000 traffic offences across the state.

The four-day effort saw police ramp up enforcement following a shocking start to the year on Victorian roads that saw 74 lives lost in the first 73 days of 2023 - 45 per cent higher than the same time last year and the five-year average (both at 51 lives lost).