POLICE hope a three-month campaign aimed at driving down the road toll will wipe out complacency in the community.
Melton police’s Sergeant Andrew Cayley warned officers would be out in force on local roads, with marked and unmarked cars targeting offenders. Numberplate recognition technology will also be used to detect unlicensed drivers and unregistered vehicles.
“Breath testing will also be enforced, it won’t always be a booze bus, we’ll have random breath-testing stations,” he said.
Sergeant Cayley urged residents to take extra care when using emergency lanes on freeways.
A woman was killed on March 25 when she left her car to get something from the back seat and was struck by another car on the Calder Freeway near Diggers Rest.
“If people have to stop on freeways and they have to get out of their cars to change a tyre, please leave from the left-hand side or drive to a more accessible position,” Sergeant Cayley said.
Launching the statewide ‘We Are The Toll’ campaign, Chief Commissioner Ken Lay said far too many people were dying on Victorian
roads.
“We talk about the fact there has been 82 deaths on our roads, but I think the reality of this figure doesn’t seep in any more,” Mr Lay said.
Police are predicting this year’s final Victorian road toll could be 30-40 deaths higher than last year.
The campaign will involve automatic numberplate recognition to charge unlicensed drivers and strong enforcement of road rules.
