POLICE detected more than 1000 traffic offences as part of a major road policing operation during Victoria’s snow season. Operation Eastern Snow saw police highly visible, with enforcement targeted on roads heading to and from snowfields including Mt Buller, Falls Creek and Mount Hotham. Almost half of offences detected were for speeding, with the majority of drivers caught travelling between 10 to 25 kilometres per hour over the limit. Busses and heavy vehicles were a major focus during the operation, with police working alongside Safe Transport Victoria to intercept vehicles at designated checkpoints and conduct safety compliance checks. Police issued 233 heavy vehicle offences during the operation. They also conducted 3381 preliminary breath tests and 432 roadside drug tests during the operation, with five drink driving offences and nine drug driving offences detected. The total 1177 offences detected during Operation Eastern Snow included: • 518 speeding offences to 368 for speeding between 10 and 25 kilometres per hour over the speed limit • 233 heavy vehicle offences • 145 defect notices • 72 unregistered vehicles • 45 defect notices • 23 seatbelt offences • 19 disqualified/suspended and unlicensed drivers • 11 disobey traffic signs/signals • Nine drug driving offences from 432 roadside drug tests • Five drink driving offences from 3381 preliminary breath tests • Three mobile phone offences and three impoundments Despite the high number of infringements issued, police said overall driver behaviour was positive and local residents and businesses in regional areas like Yea and Mansfield had reported a noticeable change in compliance. Eastern Region Road Policing Acting Inspector, Michael Cirksis said they received positive feedback from local communities about their highly visible police presence during the snow season which resulted in greater compliance with the road rules. “Local residents and businesses have reported less speeding through towns and generally better driver behaviour by those travelling to and from snowfields like Mt Buller, Falls Creek and Mt Hotham,” he said. “However, we continue to detect far too many drivers flouting the rules – more than a thousand traffic offences detected is a significant amount of offending. “Speeding continues to be the most common offence detected, which is concerning given some of the roads in the region have been significantly impacted by ice and snow at times throughout the winter months. “Even though Operation Eastern Snow has wrapped up for this year with the conclusion of the snow season, our highway patrols will continue to be highly visible and enforcing across the region. “We’ll be particularly focused on enforcing speed and detecting drivers who choose to exceed the speed limit.”
