Police will saturate roads across Melton and the state this Easter long weekend in an attempt to curb the rising road toll.
Operation Crossroads runs from Thursday until Monday with police targeting the key contributing factors to road trauma: speed, alcohol and drug impairment, distracted drivers, fatigue and failing to wear a seatbelt.
Senior Sergeant Ross Burbidge, of Melton police, said Easter was an especially high-risk period on the roads with about 9000 traffic offences detected across the state during Easter 2014.
Senior Sergeant Burbidge said he doesn’t want to see the same thing again this year. He urged drivers to stay under the speed limit, not drink or take drugs, leave their mobile phone out of reach, always wear a seatbelt and rest before long trips.
“Fatigue is one of the biggest killers on Victorian roads,” he said.
“Plan your journey when travelling long distances and take at least a 15-minute break at least every two hours, and don’t drive if you’re tired.”
Senior Sergeant Burbidge said drivers could expect to see plenty of police vehicles, on all major arterial roads, freeways and highways at the
weekend.
Over the past five Easter periods in Victoria there have been 20 fatalities and 1356 people injured from 1017 injury collisions.
“Road trauma isn’t just about the people who die, it’s about the enormous impact on the community, from the family members, to the emergency service workers who have to deal with these tragedies on a daily basis, to the police who have to deliver the devastating news to loved ones,” Senior Sergeant Burbidge said.
He said the whole community had a role to play in reducing road trauma.
And he reminded drivers: “You can be caught anywhere, at any time”.
