A road safety blitz by Geelong Highway Patrol detected 23 early-morning speeding drivers this week.
The high-visibility road safety operation comes as the number of commuters between Geelong and Melbourne continues to grow post-pandemic, leading to increased traffic on roads in and out of the region.
The operation focussed on major arterial roads across Geelong, the Surf Coast and Bellarine Peninsula.
Of the 23 speeding drivers nabbed, 11 were caught allegedly travelling 10km/h to 15km/h over the speed limit, and 12 were caught allegedly travelling 15km/h to 25km/h over the speed limit.
Speed limits on roads targeted were typically between 80km/h to 100km/h per hour.
A total of 36 infringement notices were issued during the operation, including two for unlicenced driving, six for unregistered vehicles, four for unsafe vehicles, and one for a probationary licence offence.
“This operation is not just about catching and penalising those who are doing the wrong thing on our roads – it’s also about changing driver behaviour as our city’s population grows and our roads get busier,” Geelong Highway Patrol Senior Sergeant Craig Stevens said.
“Speed limits are in place for a reason – to keep all road users safe. Drivers who deliberately exceed these limits show blatant disregard for the safety of other road users, and this will simply not be tolerated by police.
“Police will continue to actively target speeding drivers in Geelong at all times of the day and night, making sure no one puts others’ lives in danger.”
Police will continue to target early morning speedsters in similar operations in the coming weeks and months.
Speed is the number one contributor to road trauma and is a major factor in about one third of fatal collisions across the state every year.
The number of lives lost on Victorian roads currently sits at 151 compared to 132 this time last year. Ten of those fatalities occurred in the Geelong region, which is two more than the previous year.
