Epping highway patrol caught 111 speeding drivers during last month’s three-day crackdown.
A total of 117 offenders were fined for 140 offences, which also included driving without a licence and driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
“On the first day of the operation, we detected 45 offences in the first three hours – that’s a lot,” said Sergeant Ted Burke, of the Epping highway patrol.
As part of the speeding blitz — called Operation Nickel and carried out on October 8, 11 and 25 — the highway patrol targeted motorists who ignored speed restrictions at road work zones.
Police caught five drivers doing at least 25km/h above the limit, five unlicensed drivers and one driver on a suspended licence, while one tested positive to drugs and one was found to be under the influence of alcohol.
After a brief car and foot pursuit on October 8, two people were arrested at Edgars Road, Thomastown, for driving unlicensed on an unregistered trail bike.
A motorcyclist speeding north along the Hume Freeway was chased by police, who abandoned the pursuit when it reached 194km/h.
Road policing assistant commissioner Robert Hill said October was a notoriously dangerous month on Victorian roads.
“We had an horrendous October on Victorian roads last year, with 34 people killed,” he said. “Speed was a major factor in many of those collisions.”
For the previous three Octobers, there were at least 30 traffic-related deaths in the state, which prompted this year’s focus on enforcing the speed limit.
Mr Hill said Victoria Police were urging motorists to travel at safe speeds and observe the road conditions.
Sergeant Burke said the assistant commissioner had deemed it a matter of priority that the Victorian highway patrol target roadside constructions zones.
“Motorists need to bear in mind speed at works zones, as it’s a safety issue and road conditions generally aren’t as good as on an open road,” he said.
