General News
10 March, 2023
Shocking start to year for fatalities
Police are launching a statewide enforcement campaign during the Labor Day weekend in an effort to reverse a disastrous start to the year. Operation Aid will target high-risk driving behaviour and non-compliance, beginning today and continuing for...
Police are launching a statewide enforcement campaign during the Labor Day weekend in an effort to reverse a disastrous start to the year.
Operation Aid will target high-risk driving behaviour and non-compliance, beginning today and continuing for four days.
The announcement comes after Victoria reported 68 fatalities in the first 66 days of the year - 18 more than at this time last year and an increase of 45 per cent over the five-year average.
Police are especially alarmed at the rural road death toll. There have been 42 fatalities on country roads since January, 57 per cent more than the five-year median figure.
Horsham Police Acting Sergeant Michael O'Dwyer said he wants everyone to have a secure long weekend.
"There will be an increase in the number of uniform members on the roadways surrounding the town over this long weekend," he said.
"There is a strong probability that if someone plans to drive while under the influence of drugs or alcohol, they will be caught and penalised.
"The police will impose extra fines to anyone who drives while impaired and engages in antisocial behaviour.
"We want everyone to obey the rules and remain within the community guidelines."
More than half of this year's fatalities were caused by single-vehicle collisions, two-thirds of which happened on rural roads.
Four in every five fatalities involved cars driving off the road and hitting a wayside object, mostly trees.