Casey Traffic Management Unit Sergeant Pat McGavigan says more police on the roads will result in drink-drivers being caught.
By Callan Date
A NARRE Warren man caught drink-driving twice within 90 minutes was one of 18 motorists over the limit during a breath-testing blitz on Casey roads last week.
The operation began last Thursday in Narre Warren and wound up in Cranbourne on Sunday night with police staggered at the number of people prepared to flout the law and drive while over the limit.
The high numbers come in the wake of constant warnings to motorists about a crackdown on drink-driving and tough new laws announced for repeat offenders.
Sergeant Pat McGavigan of Casey Traffic Management Unit (TMU) labelled the driver behaviour as stupid – particularly the 29-year-old Narre Warren motorist who was caught twice.
“It’s just stupid. He had already been told he was over the limit and he came to pick his car up after he was caught the first time,” Sgt McGavigan said.
Police said the man recorded a .078 per cent reading at 10.20pm in Hampton Park on Friday night and was pulled over again at 11.45pm and registered .074 per cent.
“It’s a repeat performance that is just stupid,” Sgt McGavigan said.
Eight motorists, including one nearly three times over the limit, were caught last Thursday night during an operation on the Princes Highway in Narre Warren. Three more drivers were caught during random intercepts on Friday night.
Police continued their crack-down over the weekend with seven more drivers caught – including one woman who recorded a reading more than twice the legal limit as she left the Cranbourne Cup on Sunday.
“We fully support people having fun, but if you are going to have a drink leave the car at home and organise alternative transport,” Sgt McGavigan said.
He added that a new partnership with the Transport Accident Commission (TAC), dubbed Operation Everywhere, was enabling police to patrol areas around booze buses in greater numbers.
“We are targeting people who are turning off when they see a booze bus and others who use alternative roads and back-streets.
“We have also been provided with the resources to have extra cars available to conduct random breath tests after the booze bus has been packed up and moved on,” he said.
Sgt McGavigan said it is a matter of when, not if, you will be caught if you choose to flout the law.
Tougher laws have also been recently introduced to attempt to make drink-drivers think twice before getting behind the wheel of a car.
Repeat offenders are now required to have an alcohol interlock device installed for a greater length of time and fines have also risen.
Transport Minister Peter Batchelor said the new laws demonstrate the government’s commitment to reducing the impact of road trauma on Victorian roads.
“We’ve all heard the horror stories of repeat drink-drivers taking the lives of innocent people because of their own selfishness and stupidity, and these penalties aim to make people think hard about repeating this sort of behaviour,” Mr Batchelor said.
