Police are set to scan around 45 million number plates a year to detect unauthorised drivers putting lives at risk on Victoria’s roads.
As part of a rollout completed last month, automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) technology has been fitted to more than 200 Victoria Police highway patrol vehicles which allows police to detect drivers who are suspended, disqualified or unlicensed, as well as unregistered and stolen vehicles and fraudulent number plates.
Registration information can also be matched against a database of vehicles of interest so that they can be identified and removed from the road.
The boost comes as police launch Operation Amity this week to reduce road trauma over the Australia Day holiday period.
Assistant commissioner road policing Glenn Weir said unauthorised drivers have no right to be on Victorian roads.
“They pose a significant risk not only to themselves but to all road users,” Mr Weir said.
“Automatic number plate recognition technology gives us another set of eyes on the roads to stop these drivers in their tracks.
“We will use the more than 200 highway patrol vehicles fitted with this technology at every opportunity – especially high-risk holiday periods like Australia Day.”
Already, 19 people have died on Victoria’s roads this year, more than three times the figure during the same period in 2021.
More than 1,700 motorists who were disqualified, suspended, unlicensed or driving unregistered vehicles were detected during Victoria Police’s recent Christmas operation – in just 10 days.
Since the first Victoria Police vehicle fitted with mobile ANPR hit the roads in February 2019, more than 97 million number plates have been scanned.
As well as increasing police’s ability to identify and remove dangerous drivers from the road, the ANPR system includes in-car video – a tool to record audio and visual evidence during roadside intercepts that can be used in court.
Police will use all 221 ANPR-fitted highway patrol vehicles as part of Operation Amity, with patrols to focus on high-risk areas.
Although the Australia Day holiday will be held midweek this year, police have anticipated significant road activity as Victorians travel to regional areas, social gatherings and the beach.
Victoria Police’s fleet of Alcohol and Drug Testing vehicles will be intercepting motorists to detect for alcohol and drugs amid a concerning spike in drink driving activity in recent months.
Operation Amity commences at 12:01am on Tuesday 25 January and concludes at 11:59pm on Wednesday 26 January.
