General News
1 September, 2022
Police blitz nabs drink drivers
LOCAL police have begun a four-month operation focusing on licenced venues in remote communities, in a bid to reduce road trauma associated with impaired driving across south west Victoria.
LOCAL police have begun a four-month operation focusing on licenced venues in remote communities, in a bid to reduce road trauma associated with impaired driving across south west Victoria.
Starting last Friday, Highway Patrol officers began to saturate the roads near licenced venues in remote locations including Corangamite, Moyne, Warrnambool, Southern Grampians and Glenelg, conducting roadside alcohol and drug tests.
Uniform officers will also have a highly visible presence in and around pubs and clubs to ensure liquor licencing compliance.
The operation will take place every Friday and Saturday night until the end of the year.
Police detected four drink drivers and one drug driver in the first blitz over the weekend.
The offences included a 45 year-old Port Campbell man with a BAC of .122 and a 36 year-old Cobden woman who blew .082.
In a further effort to reduce road trauma across south west Victoria, Warrnambool Highway Patrol police, with support from Colac Highway Patrol, are conducting an operation targeting dangerous driving in the Corangamite and Colac-Otway shires.
Police are targeting speedsters and impaired drivers on key arterial roads throughout August and September, following a spate of serious and fatal road incidents across both shires inrecent months.
The number of lives lost on Victorian roads currently sits at 161 compared to 142 this time last year. Eight of those fatalities occurred in the Warrnambool and Southern Grampians region.
Warrnambool/Southern Grampians Highway Patrol Senior Sergeant Matthew Wheeler said the message is very simple – if you choose to drink too much and drive, you will be caught.
“We will not hesitate to remove drink drivers from the road – even those only the slightest bit over,” he said.
“First time offenders who go even a little bit over the legal drinking limit face significant penalties, including fines, loss of license and disqualification – and the penalties are significantly worse for higher BAC readings and repeat offenders.”
Snr Sgt Wheeler said the worst penalty of all was the potential loss of life onour roads.
“You do not want to be responsible for a collision that results in serious injury or death – the consequences are catastrophic,” he said.
“It never gets easier delivering the horrific news to a mum, dad, husband or wife that their loved one has been killed in a road tragedy. So please – if you’re going to drink, don’t drive home.”