Speeding and drug drivers on regional roads “alarming” police

More than 1100 speeding drivers were caught on Victoria’s regional roads in a 12-day police operation. See how your region fared.

More than 1100 drivers were nabbed speeding on regional roads across Victoria during a recent 12-day statewide traffic blitz, drug driving is on the rise.

Operation Roadwise, which ran from December 16 to December 27, detected 47 drug drivers across regional Victoria, with 11 of those in the Bendigo region, eight in Warrnambool and six in Wodonga.

Police have labelled the increase of drug driving on Victorian roads alarming, with one in 14 motorists who took one of the 5122 random roadside drug tests conducted coming up positive.

The number of drug infringements is a significant increase on the one in 17 nabbed during last year’s operation.

There were also 68 drink drivers stopped in the regions, with 10 on the Surf Coast, eight each in Bendigo and Swan Hill and seven in Warrnambool.

However, police were encouraged to see a reduction in overall alcohol detections following “troubling” figures detected since the pandemic broke.

There were also 71 disqualified and 87 unlicensed drivers caught behind the wheel in the regions, while 36 vehicles were impounded.

Victoria Police Acting Assistant Commissioner Justin Goldsmith discusses Operation Roadwise. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Ian Currie

Acting Assistant Commissioner Road Policing Justin Goldsmith said that 13,500 traffic offences had been detected statewide during the operation.

“More than a third were for speeding, while alarmingly 375 drivers were detected drug driving,” he said.

“We are committed to working with our road safety partners and local communities to understand and address the various challenges faced in rural areas and ultimately save lives.

“The number of lives lost on country roads rose more than 10 per cent last year. We’ve also seen multiple deaths already in 2023, including a quadruple fatal near Shepparton.”

There were 135 lives lost on country roads, including Geelong and the Surf Coast, in 2022.

This was up from 120 in 2021 and above the five-year average of 131.

Victoria Police analysis shows daily offence detections during Operation Roadwise were up 13.9 per cent compared with last year’s operation.

Victoria Police pull over drivers at a roadside drug and alcohol testing site. Picture NCA NewsWire / Ian Currie