More than 6,600 offences were detected by Victoria Police during Operation Furlong over the Melbourne Cup long weekend.
The statewide road policing operation took place from midnight on Friday, 31 October, until midnight on Tuesday, 4 November, with a particular focus on speeding and impaired drivers.
One in every 465 drivers who were breath tested were caught over the legal alcohol limit, with 234 drink driving offences detected from 108,910 preliminary breath tests.
A further 135 drug driving offences were detected from 3,079 roadside drug tests – a strike rate of one in every 22 drivers testing positive to drugs.
The majority of offences detected were for speeding, with 2900 speeding drivers caught. 79 per cent of whom were travelling between 10km/h and 25/km over the speed limit.
Police also caught 459 unauthorised drivers, using automatic number plate recognition technology to detect disqualified, suspended and unlicensed drivers illegally using the roads.
Road Policing Assistant Commissioner, Glenn Weir said it was disappointing to again find so many drivers disregarding the road rules and taking unnecessary risks.
“The number of people detected for impaired driving over the last five days is particularly concerning – these are people who have made a choice to drive knowing they have alcohol or drugs in their system,” Assistant Commissioner Weir said.
“Don’t try and guess if you’re right to drive or under the limit – just don’t do it. We need people to separate driving from alcohol and drugs.
“Similarly, so many drivers continue to think that if they speed, they won’t be detected, and yet we have caught 2,900 speeding drivers over five days.
“The message is simple – if you don’t speed, you won’t be fined. We make no apologies for penalising people who take ridiculous risks on our roads.”
There were two fatalities recorded on Victorian roads over the weekend, including a male on a mobility scooter who was hit by a car in Malvern East, and a male motorcyclist who collided with a car in Roxburgh Park, both on Sunday 2 November.
Police are urging motorists to remain vigilant behind the wheel throughout November, with the number of lives lost reaching 246, 12 higher than the same time last year.
