More than 130 drivers across Whittlesea and Hume were caught out by police during a recent four-day traffic blitz.
Police nabbed 78 drivers in Hume and 60 in Whittlesea for a range of traffic offences during Operation Amity, which ran over the Australia Day long weekend.
In Hume, 24 drivers were booked for speeding, while 16 came to the attention of police for driving an unregistered vehicle, and 27 were stopped for running red lights or ignoring give way or stop signs.
In Whittlesea, police caught 32 speeding drivers, six unlicensed drivers and four drink drivers, as well as eight who disobeyed traffic control signs.
A Doreen man was among those allegedly caught drink driving. Police said the 30-year-old man returned a positive breath test of 0.173 after the vehicle he was driving hit a pole on Painted Hills Road about 7.30am on January 27.
The man had his licence suspended and will face court at a later date. Greensborough Highway Patrol Senior Constable Katie Carlton said police were pleased they were able to catch so many speeding and drunk drivers.
She said police had been targeting high and low-level speeding across Whittlesea throughout the four days, catching drivers on local roads, as well as on the M80 Ring Road.
Senior Constable Carlton said police had also focused on an ongoing problem with drivers ignoring give way and stop signs and red lights.
“We have always had a major issue with red lights here,” she said.
“We want drivers to get the message that they need to pay attention. Driving on the roads is not a game. If you are not paying attention, it can be fatal.”
Across the state, police detected more than 6300 traffic offences and more than 740 crime offences during the long weekend. Road Policing Command Acting Assistant Commissioner Glenn Weir said too many drivers made dangerous and illegal choices over the four days.
