Traffic blitz nets dozens of offenders

By Kelly Yates
CASEY police say they are extremely angry at the incidence of stupid driving behaviours shown on the roads over the Easter long weekend.
Acting Sergeant of the Casey Traffic Management Unit (TMU) Allen Inderwisch told the News police were out in force last weekend in marked and unmarked vehicles and motorcycles with a blitz from Thursday to Monday.
Police targeted major highways, major arterials and known trouble spots throughout Casey.
Act Sgt Inderwisch said police breath-tested 540 drivers and detected two drink drivers.
“We’re pleased to see that the message is getting through but it’s still two drivers too many,” he said.
Police also discovered five unregistered vehicles, 22 people not wearing seatbelts, nine drivers using their mobile phones and five unlicensed drivers.
Despite the City of Casey predominantly being one of the worst areas for road trauma each year, police were happy that the road toll remained at zero over Easter.
Last year four people were killed on Victorian roads over the Easter period, with the City of Casey having zero fatalities.
“We are happy that there were no fatalities but disappointed at the speeds some motorists were detected driving at,” he said.
Act Sgt Inderwisch said police impounded three vehicles, with one P-plate driver clocked at 155km/h in a 100km/h zone along the South Gippsland Freeway.
Police also caught another P-plate driver doing 172km/h in a 100km/h section of the Princes Freeway in Berwick.
A motorcyclist was charged with exceeding the engine capacity for his licence after being clocked at 204 km/h along the Princes Freeway in Berwick.
Act Sgt Inderwisch said all of the drivers were from within the City of Casey.
“Another P-plate driver was caught at 142km/h near Hallam-Belgrave Road on the Monash Freeway and lost his licence for six months,” he said.
“And a 23-year-old man was clocked at 112km/h in a 70km/h zone along Pound Road in Hampton Park and he will lose his licence for a month.”
Police are disappointed with the sheer stupidity of some P-plate drivers, according to Act Sgt Inderwisch.
“These drivers seem to have the attitude that they will get away with it and nothing bad will happen to them,” he said.
“Police will be continuing to enforce the high police presence in the hope that common sense will prevail,” Act Sgt Inderwisch said.
“If drivers continue to abuse the privilege of having a vehicle, we will continue to take it from them.”