As Operation Roadwise kicks off over the Christmas and New Year period in Victoria, police are pleading with motorists to prioritise road safety.
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Launching tomorrow, (December 13) the statewide road policing operation will see police highly visible across the state’s major roads and arterials.
Road policing assistant commissioner, Glenn Weir says police are urging all drivers to make road safety a priority.
“The last place you want to end up this Christmas is in a hospital, or worse, as a result of road trauma,” he says.
“December is a high-risk period on our roads – we know there is a significant risk associated with impaired driving, and we also see an influx of traffic as people head on holidays to regional areas.
“This year Operation Roadwise will run for 20 days until 1 January to ensure we have a highly visible police presence on our roads across this busy period.”
Last year’s Operation Roadwise saw police conducting more than 300,000 preliminary breath tests and almost 9,000 roadside drug tests.
Data shows December is the worst month of the year for drink driving offences and collisions where the driver is over the blood alcohol limit.
Motorists are being warned they should expect to be tested anywhere, any time and to separate drinking and driving by planning ahead, arranging a designated driver or using alternative transport.
Police urge drivers to be patient, avoid distractions, take regular breaks to avoid fatigue, stick to the speed limit and obey road rules.
Operation Roadwise will have police highly visible on roads around coastal areas and popular holiday hotspots across regional Victoria.
Last year 17 lives were lost on Victorian roads between December 15 and January 1 and 19,000 traffic infringements were issued during Operation Roadwise including 7,631 speeding offences.
There have been 273 lives lost on Victoria roads to date, which is slightly below 276 at the same time last year.
“It’s been another devastating year on our roads, and we make no apologies for doing all we can to prevent further serious injuries and deaths,” Weir says.
Operation Roadwise commences at 00:01 hours on Friday December 13, 2024, and concludes at 23:59 hours on Wednesday January 1, 2025.
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