Long weekends are high-risk periods on our roads, and the June long weekend presents additional challenges with poor visibility and wintry weather conditions.
Victoria Police will be conducting Operation Regal over the four days from Friday to Monday and will be highly visible and enforcing across the state to reduce road trauma.
Police will be targeting speeding and impaired drivers – you should expect to be tested for drugs and alcohol.
Distraction and fatigue will also be a focus, as it continues to be a factor in fatal and serious injury collisions.
Check the conditions before travelling – if the weather is expected to be poor, avoid being on the road if you don’t have to.
If you’re driving – slow down, leave extra space when driving in the wet, and use your headlights to help see and be seen.
Acting Sergeant of the Macedon Ranges Highway Patrol, Brett Magrath, said police had noticed drivers were not changing their driving habits to suit the conditions.
“They still drive as though it’s summer with perfect conditions,” Act-Sgt Magrath said.
“We all know our roads around Macedon Ranges are subject to some of the worst winter conditions you can expect – black ice, fog, heavy rain.
“Our message is to slow down, keep your distance and make sure your car is in a safe and roadworthy condition.”
Last year, despite restrictions limiting travel around the state, Victoria Police detected almost 5000 traffic infringements over the long weekend.
“We know that speeding, impaired driving, fatigue, distraction and not wearing seatbelts are the biggest contributors to road trauma, so we’ll be targeting these behaviours over the weekend,” Act-Sgt Magrath said.
“We’ll be out there, and we want everyone to get home.”
