Police have nabbed over 500 motorists during a major road blitz

Local police officers have nabbed hundreds of drivers during a 10-day blitz across the region.

GEELONG police nabbed more than 500 motorists for road infringements during a 10 day safety operation, ending on Sunday night.

Operation Roadwise ran from December 17 to Sunday night, with Geelong Highway Patrol Senior Sergeant Craig Stevens on Sunday revealing more than 500 infringements had been issued by the closing hours of the operation.

“We’ve been highly visible on the major arterial roads, because of the increased volumes of traffic heading down to the Surf Coast and Bellarine Peninsula,” Sen Sgt Stevens said. “The focus areas have been impaired driving, speed, distraction and fatigue.”

“Since the start of the operation we’ve done 4500 preliminary breath tests, with 17 impaired drivers taken off the road, we’ve committed over 1500 patrol hours to Operation Roadwise, and detected 510 offences over that 10 day period.

“This operation will conclude tonight, put police will remain with a strong focus on those areas of concern.”

Police operated a booze bus on Bacchus Marsh Rd Corio. Picture: Alan Barber

Sen Sgt Stevens said it was disappointing to see more than a dozen motorists caught over the limit, and also for the region to record one road fatality during the operation period.

“17 impaired drivers is too many,” he said. “One is too many in my view, but to get those 17 off the road is a good result.”

“511 offences demonstrates that people are still refusing to comply with speed in particular. A lot of those offences are for speeding.”

Sen Sgt Stevens called on motorists to continue to be careful on the roads throughout the holiday period and into the New Year.

“Visitors heading down to our regional areas need to be extra cautious, because they’re unfamiliar with their surroundings, and the roads are extremely busy at the moment. The traffic in the surf coast and Bellarine Peninsula is very heavy,” he said.

Originally published as Police have nabbed over 500 motorists during a major road blitz