‘Operation Argus’: Police out in force for start of spring and footy finals
After a shocking rise in Victoria’s road toll, police are set to crack down on dangerous drivers with heavy fines amid fears that motorists are becoming complacent.
Law & Order
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Victorians are being warned to be smarter at the wheel or expect heavy fines as police crack down on dangerous drivers this weekend.
Four-day road policing Operation Argus will be launched on Wednesday in response to the deaths of 192 people on Victorian roads this year.
The shocking rise since last year’s record-low toll has sparked concerns that drivers are becoming complacent.
“We’re having a terrible year on the roads,” Road Policing Command Assistant Commissioner Stephen Leane told the Herald Sun. “Some of it has been to do with complacency of the community.
“Road trauma can happen to anyone at any time. You need to be vigilant.”
Mr Leane warned that officers would be “everywhere” from tomorrow until Sunday night and wanted people to remember the seriousness of getting behind the wheel.
“Driving your car seems simple but the ramifications of getting it wrong are really significant,” Mr Leane said.
“They are really complicated pieces of machinery and we’ve made them as easy as we can for people to drive but at the end of the day, we know that simple physics works.
“If you’re going too fast, no matter how good your car is, the chances of you surviving are pretty minimal.”
The force chose this weekend for the extra operation — like those run over long weekends — to remind Victorians to stay safe while they are out enjoying the first week of spring.
Warmer weather and large sporting events present extra challenges for road police.
“The football finals are on, there’s netball and other sporting finals, so people are really starting to move around and enjoy themselves,” Mr Leane said.
“With that comes risk around more people on the road and more travel into country areas.
“As we start to enjoy ourselves, alcohol and drug use is one of our problems on the road.”
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The operation will also have a strong focus on country roads, where 105 people have died this year.
Thirty-eight pedestrians have lost their lives in road accidents this year, including 20-year-old Nisali Perera who was hit and killed outside Monash University in Clayton last week.
Two people were arrested last night in connection with the hit-and-run death of the student, who died while crossing Wellington Rd about 9.45pm on Thursday.
Operation Argus runs until midnight Sunday.