A learner driver has been clocked almost 40km/h over the speed limit in Wyndham, as drivers across the state ignore police pleas to take more care and help slow the spiralling road toll.
More than 4,700 offences were detected in the first five days of the annual Operation Roadwise Christmas blitz, which kicked off on Friday.
They included 190 drink drivers, 131 people caught behind the wheel with drugs in their systems and 274 motorists fined for using their mobile phones while driving.
The staggering number of offences comes despite the soaring number of deaths on Victorian roads – 287 lives lost so far this year, 53 more than at the same time in 2022.
While police are yet to provide a full breakdown of the data, Geelong Broadcasters understands there were 143 offences detected in the Greater Geelong region between Friday and Tuesday.
On Tuesday night a 19-year-old driver was stopped on Derrimut Road, Tarneit, after officers from Westgate Highway Patrol measured his speed at 99km/h in a 60 zone.
The man, who did not have a supervising qualified driver with him in the car, told police he was “on a Maccas run” when he was nabbed.
His learner permit was immediately cancelled and his car was impounded.
He will face court early next year on charges including exceeding the speed limit, driving without L plates, failing to drive in the company of an approved driver and failing to carry his learner’s permit.
Road Policing Assistant Commissioner Glenn Weir said police were apalled at the number of offenders detected in the early days of Operation Roadwise.
“Despite our best efforts … we’ve still seen seven lives lost on our roads and we’re staring down the barrel of the worst year on Victorian roads in 15 years,” he said.
“It’s up to all of us now to limit the amount of trauma for the remainder of this year – we want to ensure everyone makes it home safely to spend Christmas and the New Year with their loved ones.
Preliminary Operation Roadwise data – Friday December 15 – Tuesday December 19
190 drink driving offences from 72,372 preliminary breath tests
• 131 drug driving offences from 2,312 roadside drug tests
• 184 disqualified/suspended drivers
• 174 unlicensed drivers
• 407 unregistered vehicles
• 1,679 speeding offences (1,284 for between 10km/h and 25km/h)
• 274 mobile phone offences
• 225 disobey signs/signals
• 106 seatbelt offences
• 112 vehicle impoundments
