POLICE have labelled driver behaviour over the Melbourne Cup weekend as “disappointing”, with a “marked” increase in the number of recorded offences.
Swan Hill highway patrol Sergeant Les McPhee told The Guardian drivers were still taking unnecessary risks on local roads, putting themselves and other road users in danger.
“Offences in the Swan Hill area were up on the previous year,” he said.
“We have seen a marked increase, we had about 50 offences last year, so the penalty notices have increased this year which is disappointing. “
Local police were out in force across the weekend as part of statewide Operation Furlong, which ran from November 1 to November 5.
“We got a total of 95 offences over the weekend, with six drink drivers and one drug driver on the Friday,” Sgt McPhee said.
“The main offences were speeding over that weekend.
“It is disappointing.”
Sgt McPhee said officers conducted a total 1170 breath tests in the police service area over the course of the operation, in an effort to curb the already tragic year on state roads.
According to the TAC, 234 people had died on Victorian roads as of midnight on November 6, with 132 of those deaths occurring on country roads.
Sgt McPhee said it seemed the message still wasn’t getting through to drivers.
“It’s always disappointing to get any offences, especially over the long weekend, when we do advertise we will be out there in strength,” he said.
“People are still taking risks and putting other road users at risk by speeding and drink and drug driving.”
Risky road behaviour was a trend statewide, with police detecting more than 10,900 traffic and 925 criminal offences over the five-day period.
Offences were on the rise across the state compared to last year’s operation, with police recording 302 seatbelt offences, up from 241 last year; 4200 speeding offences, up from 3346; and 662 mobile phone offences, up from 577.
Impaired driving remained a concern, with 250 drink driving and 271 drug driving offences detected.
Road Policing Command Assistant Commissioner Stephen Leane said police were frustrated to see people still gambling with their own and others’ lives on the road.
“We shouldn’t have to remind people of the dangers of drink and drug driving, of not wearing seatbelts, of using your phone while driving, yet here we are again seeing people blatantly disregarding the law,” AC Leane said.
“Operation Furlong may now be over but enforcement doesn’t stop; until the message sinks in, our officers will continue breath and drug testing drivers and speed-checking vehicles to keep our roads safe.”
