Victoria Police Nab Over 35,000 Traffic Offenders In Operation Summer Stay

Victoria Police have recorded more than 36,500 traffic offences over the past three weeks, including over 1700 drink and drug drivers.

The number marks an increase of more than 3000 offences during the same period last year.

The joint Operation RAID (Remove All Impaired Drivers) and Summer Stay campaigns form part of a statewide assault on dangerous behaviour over the Summer period. 

So far, Summer Stay has seen police nab 1580 drink and 196 drug drivers, including a 58 year-old man juggling driving duties with a can of beer and a conversation on a handheld mobile phone. 

More than 1000 disqualified or suspended drivers have been caught, along with 1542 unlicensed drivers and 3191 unregistered vehicles. 

A huge 10,819 speeding offences were also recorded, while 3152 motorists were caught using their mobile phones illegally. A further 2576 were booked for disobeying signs or signals, 262 cars were impounded, and 1528 seatbelt offences recorded. 

“Over the last three weeks during this operation, we’ve breath tested 671,863 motorists and drug tested a further 1580 motorists," Assistant Commissioner for Road Policing Robert Hill said.

“We’ve had more police on the road than ever, working around the clock to deter and take these risk-takers off our roads."

The Summer Stay campaign will run across Victoria from 16 November through to 9 January. Police are urging motorists to stay safe or stay off the road this summer.

Over the 52-day period, police will saturate the state’s roads during four different operations in an effort to reduce road trauma throughout the high-risk summer period.

Victoria's current road toll stands at 269, down from 271 for the same period in 2011.

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Top areas for drink driving offences – Operation RAID

Results from Operation RAID 2011 (18 November – 11 December, 2011)
• 1,402 drink driving offences
• 191 drug driving offences
• 760 disqualified/suspended drivers 
• 1494 unlicensed drivers 
• 3,191 unregistered vehicles 
• 9622 speeding offences 
• 2939 mobile phone offences 
• 1962 disobey signs/signals 
• 218 impoundments 
• 1461 seat belt offences

Breakdown of operations conducted as part of Summer Stay:
• Operation RAID – state-wide, cross-border operation with New South Wales and South Australia targeting drink and drug driving aimed at removing all impaired drivers from the roads. 
• Operation Break-up – state-wide operation focusing on high risk factors pre-Christmas including drink/drug driving, speed, fatigue and distraction.
• Operation Crossroads – nation-wide operation focusing on high risk factors associated with holiday driving during the Christmas/New Year week. This operation will mark the official holiday road toll period and will run from 23 December, 2012 to 3 January, 2013.
• Operation Fresh Start – state-wide operation focusing on similar high risk issues that present challenges with the return of the industrial sector from the holiday break.

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