The four-day operation aims to increase police presence on the roads and focus on strong indicators for fatal collisions and serious injury collisions.
Bendigo Highway Patrol Acting Senior Sergeant Mick McCrann oversees traffic operations for regions within central Victoria, including Campaspe.
Sen Sgt McCrann said there was usually a rise in fatigue-related incidents on long weekends.
“The one we see usually on the long weekends is fatigue,” he said.
“We have a lot of people who will travel towing a caravan with the kids in the back and the dog and the bikes and they’re travelling on unfamiliar roads at times when they wouldn’t ordinarily be driving, and that’s where we see the risk.”i
Other high-risk factors include phone usage while driving, speeding, driving under the influence and not wearing a seatbelt.
Assisting the highway patrol team this long weekend will be general duties, state highway patrol, police solo units, a heavy vehicle unit, road policing, the drug and alcohol team and the public order response teams.
Police will target high-risk roads based on data from the past five years that looks at where collisions usually occur and at what times.
Sen Sgt McCrann said being vigilant during the long weekend was the key to minimising road accidents.
“It’s a high-functioning skill to drive a motor vehicle ... so get your rest, plan your route, plan your stops,” he said.
“All of the things that we’ve seen at our crashes is speed, seatbelt, alcohol and drugs.
“If we can focus on being in the best possible condition we can be, to look after the people that we care about and remind those that you care about when they’re travelling to be extra vigilant ... we have the best chance of getting through this long weekend with the minimum amount of trauma possible.”
The operation will run from 12.01am on Friday, June 6, to 11.59pm on Sunday, June 9.
9°C