By BRIDGET COOK
ABOUT 1000 motorists were caught flouting the law and a pedestrian was killed on Casey roads during a police summer road crackdown.
Casey police conducted its Summer Stay campaign between 15 November and 5 January, which involved four targeted operations aimed at reducing road trauma over the high risk holiday season.
Operation RAID (Remove All Impaired Drivers) was conducted first which, as the name stated, targeted drink and drug driving offences.
Operation Break-up, which ran from 9 to 23 December, targeted distraction and seatbelt offences before Christmas and then Operation Crossroads focussed on high risk factors associated with holiday driving during the Christmas and new year week.
Operation Fresh Start was the final element this month, which focussed on driver fatigue with people returning from their holiday break.
Casey police conducted more than 14,000 preliminary breath tests and detected 34 drivers exceeding their alcohol limit.
A further 965 offences were also detected during the Summer Stay period, including speeding and using a mobile phone while driving.
There were 21 injury collisions on Casey roads during the time and one fatal incident involving a pedestrian in Endeavour Hills in November.
Casey and Cardinia Highway Patrol Senior Sergeant John Felton said there were positives and negatives with the results.
“The detection of so many offences is disappointing but will send a clear message to those who think they can flout our roads laws that we mean business,” he said.
“By comparison for the previous Summer Stay period, Casey recorded 35 injury collisions including one fatality last year.
“We are hopeful this significant reduction in recorded road trauma is some proof the messages around road safety are getting through.
“That said, there were still 21 families, and countless friends and work colleagues who suffered from road trauma which occurred in Casey over the festive season.
“We can and should always do better,” he said.
