A long weekend is the perfect opportunity to take a road trip but with the wintery conditions, Victoria Police is urging drivers to take care.
The warning comes as Victoria Police today launches Operation Regal, a four-day statewide road policing effort to reduce road trauma and target poor driving behaviour.
With the long weekend identified as a high-risk period on Victorian roads, police will be highly visible and targeting speeding and alcohol and drug-impaired drivers.
“Long weekends are historically high-risk periods on our roads, and the Queen’s Birthday long weekend presents additional challenges,” said Assistant Commissioner Road Policing, Glenn Weir
“We’re expecting wintery weather conditions – meaning slippery roads and poor visibility.”
There will also be a focus on major arterials and highways heading to the state’s alpine regions, with a high number of visitors anticipated for the official Queen’s Birthday opening weekend of Victoria’s snow season.
With more wintery weather expected to blast the state, police are concerned long weekend travellers could be presented with particularly dangerous driving conditions, including slippery roads and poor visibility.
Comm’r Weir said we’re now at a critical point in determining whether we can turn this year around.
“Whether you’re travelling across the state this weekend or heading to the alpine regions, please take extra care on the roads and be sure to drive to the conditions,” he said
“As we approach the halfway point of the year, there have already been 105 lives lost on Victorian roads in 2022.”
Pedestrian fatalities have more than doubled, with 16 pedestrian deaths compared with six at the same time last year.
Fatalities on roads in regional Victoria have also increased, with 63 lives lost on country roads compared with 46 at the same time last year.
Comm’r Weir said we all have a part to play in ensuring we don’t see any more road trauma across the state.
“For Victoria Police, this includes being highly visible and actively enforcing against high-risk driving behaviour,” he said.
“With more police back on the roads, you should expect to be caught if you’re disregarding the road rules”.
Motorists are being urged to monitor the conditions and ensure it’s safe to travel and should slow down, leave extra space when driving in the wet and use headlights in bad weather to help see and be seen.
Snowgoers should also ensure their vehicle is equipped to travel on alpine roads, including carrying and using appropriate wheel chains.
Despite restrictions limiting travel around the state in 2021, Victoria Police detected almost 5000 traffic infringements over the Queen’s Birthday long weekend.
Operation Regal commences at 12.01am Friday 10 June and will conclude at 11.59pm on Monday 13 June 2022.
For more information and tips for staying safe on the roads visit the Road Safety page on the Victoria Police website.
