Ash Bolt
More than 35 impaired drivers have been nabbed across the region as part of Victoria Police’s combined Easter and Anzac Day road safety blitz.
Police wrapped up Operation Compass on Monday night and revealed nine drink-drivers and 14 drug drivers had been caught in the Geelong area over the 12-day operation.
A further 11 drink drivers and three drug drivers were caught on the Surf Coast.
Speeding continued to be the major issue in the region, with 92 speeding offences recorded in Geelong and 145 on the Surf Coast.
There were also 13 disqualified driver caught on the road across both areas, 17 unlicensed drivers, seven seatbelt offences, 23 drivers caught using their phones behind the wheel, 60 unregistered vehicles on the roads and nine impoundments.
The offences were some of the almost 13,000 traffic offences detected across the state during Operation Compass.
Victoria Police road policing acting assistant commissioner David Clayton said it was a disappointingly high number of offences recorded.
“It is disappointing that police detected almost 13,000 offences during Operation Compass – that’s almost 13,000 instances of people making poor decisions and putting themselves and others at risk on the road,” he said.
“Tragically five lives were lost during Easter – four of them pedestrians struck by vehicles. With worsening weather conditions and reduced visibility as winter approaches it is imperative motorists and pedestrians look out for one another.
“While our statewide operation may have concluded rest assured police enforcement against poor road user behaviour remains ongoing. We will be doing everything to protect our most vulnerable road users.”
Across the state, almost 40 per cent of offences detected were for speeding, with 579 motorists caught driving more than 25km/h over the speed limit.
There were 855 motorists caught drink or drug driving from more than 182,000 roadside tests, as well as 453 drivers nabbed for driving while disqualified or suspended and 464 for driving while unlicensed.
