Automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) technology has helped police detect 424 unauthorised drivers during a two-day road safety blitz.
Operation Amity saw police enforcing on Victorian roads during the high-risk Australia Day period, with ANPR technology fitted to highway patrol vehicles used to detect disqualified, suspended and unlicensed drivers as well as those driving unregistered vehicles.
Police also targeted impaired drivers during the two-day operation, with more than 160 motorists detected for alcohol or drugs offences from 28,950 tests across the state.
There was a fatal collision in Torrumbarry on Tuesday 25 January, bringing the total lives lost to 21 this year – more than 10 at the same time last year (11).
Operation Amity ran from 12:01am on Tuesday 25 January to 23:59pm on Wednesday 26 January.
Assistant commissioner road policing Glenn Weir said it was a busy end to the peak holiday season with Victorians embracing the warm weather and heading to coastal locations, lakes, rivers and visiting regional areas.
“Disappointingly, we continue to detect a significant number of motorists flouting the road rules and putting other’s lives at risk – with almost 3000 offences detected in just two days,” Mr Weir said.
“Police patrols have increased on Victorian roads since the end of lockdowns, so motorists should expect to see more police, more often this year. With school resuming next week and more people returning to work now is not the time to be complacent behind the wheel.”
A total of 2,838 offences were detected during Operation Amity, including 92 drink driving offences from 27,775 preliminary breath tests and 70 drug driving offences from 1,175 roadside drug tests.
There were 67 disqualified or suspended drivers, 94 unlicensed drivers and 263 unregistered vehicles.
Speeding offences reached 1,117 while police recorded 144 mobile phone offences and 68 seatbelt offences.
Police found 179 disobeyed signs and signals and 42 vehicle impoundments were issued.
