Victorian Police will target both road and off-road motorcyclists this Labour Day long weekend in the annual Operation Arid.
Extra police resources, including 10 more “booze and drug buses”, will be deployed in priority areas, including Wangaratta/Benalla, Yarra Ranges, Geelong/ Moorabool, Glen Eira and Greater Dandenong.
The operation runs from 12.01am tomorrow (8 March 2019) to 11.59pm Monday (11 March).
Road Policing Command Assistant Commissioner Stephen Leane says they will pay particular attention to road and off-road riders because of the record number of deaths so far this year.
Rider deaths
Rider fatality on Melbourne’s Monash Freeway last monthUp to date, 17 riders have died this year compared with seven up to the same time last year.
The five-year average is nine, according to Transport Accident Commission figures.
However, Police say they will not just target motorcyclists, but all motorists.
“We especially urge motorcyclists and country road users to do everything in their power to make themselves as safe as possible as these groups make up 80 per cent of our lives lost this year,” Assistant Commissioner Leane said.
“Please just slow down and drive to the conditions. It doesn’t take much; plan your journey, don’t drink if you’re going to drive, and take that extra few minutes to drive at a speed that is appropriate to the conditions you are travelling in.”
“All too often we accept fatal crashes as a normal thing that just happens on long weekends.
“Well I am saying one person is too many, let alone the 59 lives lost this year.
“The only acceptable number is zero, so we need the community to assist in ensuring that this weekend is safe for everyone.”
2018 long weekend Operation Arid results:
- six lives lost
- 3129 speeding offences
- 441 mobile phone offences
- 262 seat belt offences