Operation Roadwise kicked off at midnight aiming to keep us safe on the roads.
It’ll run for 12 days targeting impaired driving, speed, distraction and fatigue.
The operation will conclude at 23:59pm on Tuesday 27 December.
Senior Sergeant Paul Maslunka from Ballarat Police says their visibility will be high
“What locals and visitors in the area can expect to see is large numbers of police. I doubt that anyone will go within 80 kilometres of Ballarat and not see quite a few police cars. We’re going to be out in numbers, and our aim is to make sure everyone gets to where they are going safely.”
During the same campaign last year 6 Victorians lost their lives.
Maslunka says their aim is to protect all road users during the campaign, not just target those inside cars.
“We’ve got to remember we’ve got vulnerable road users out there as well. We’ve got people walking beside the roads, we’ve got people exercising on bicycles etc. They’re vulnerable road users we’re trying to protect. We’ve also got people on motorbikes that don’t have a lot of protection when they’re hit by a car.”
The statewide road policing operation comes as the number of lives lost in Victoria reaches 236, already surpassing last year’s total of 234 and sitting well above the five-year average of 221.
Additionally, there’s been a 20% spike in road deaths on regional roads this year compared to 2021.
