King’s Birthday revealed as having highest rate of road offences for long weekends

Menace drivers committed more daily offences during the King’s Birthday weekend than any other public holiday this year. See which long weekends were the worst on Victorian roads.

King’s Birthday was revealed as one of the worst long weekends for road offences Picture: Alan Barber

Hoon drivers committed more daily offences during the King’s Birthday weekend than any other public holiday this year, Victoria Police stats reveal

Data from the latest annual report revealed drivers committed a rate of 1905 road offences a day during the King’s Birthday weekend — the most of any public holiday.

The offences include drink and drug driving as well as criminal offences.

Police recorded more than 5400 criminal offences during long weekends in 2023/24 Picture: Alan Barber

Police recorded more daily offences during the King’s Birthday weekend than last year’s 18-day Christmas campaign — where 21,215 offences were committed in total.

This year’s King’s Birthday figures were eight per cent higher than the previous year.

Traffic cameras were also red hot over King’s Birthday, catching 13,148 speeding drivers across the four-day Operation Regal.

Across all eight long weekends police recorded more than 63,500 road safety breaches and 5400 criminal offences.

Traffic cameras also pinged more than 138,800 speeding drivers over public holidays, with the Melbourne Cup having the highest rate with an average of more than 3200 speed demons caught on camera every day over the four-day weekend.

Aside from Victoria Police’s Christmas road blitz campaign — which went for 18 days —

the long weekend with the most total offences was Melbourne Cup with 9036.

Last year 13 people were killed on the roads during the Melbourne Cup period.

For the second straight year police will extend their Operation Roadwise campaign over the Christmas period, with this year’s crackdown increased to 20 days.

Assistant Commissioner Glenn Weir said there would be a “significant focus” on impaired drivers this festive period.

Police Road Assistant Commissioner Glenn Weir said police will extend their Christmas road safety campaign into 2025 Picture: Jason Edwards

“Motorists should expect to be tested anywhere, any time and be prepared to face the consequences if you’re caught over the limit,” he said.

“It’s been another devastating year on our roads, and we make no apologies for doing all we can to prevent further serious injuries and deaths.

“December is a high-risk period on our roads – we know there is a significant risk associated with impaired driving and we also see an influx of traffic as people head on holidays to regional areas.”

So far this year 275 lives have been lost on Victorian roads just three less than at the same time last year — which ended up being the state’s deadliest year in decades.