By Victoria Stone-Meadows
Pakenham was home to more than 50 drink drivers in the 2015-’16 financial year, with one resident from the area being caught four times over the limit.
Statistics from the Department of Justice and Regulation show that the south eastern suburbs of Melbourne are home to the highest number of drink drivers in the state.
During the 2015-’16 financial year, 52 drink drivers from Pakenham were fined, totalling $25,028 in on-the-spot fines for the suburb.
Pakenham was the fifth highest suburb in the state for drink driving, behind Dandenong, Hoppers Crossing, Werribee and Cranbourne.
In comparison, during the 2014-’15 financial year, Pakenham was home to 64 drink drivers with fines for the suburb totalling $31,774.
Cardinia Highway Patrol’s Acting Senior Sergeant Glenn Dunn said drink driving was still a major issue on our roads despite a change in what police were seeing as the cause of impaired driving.
“Drink driving has always been around,” he said, adding that the booze bus operation was keeping the numbers down.
“There seems to have been a cultural shift in younger people more towards drug driving that isn’t coming up during a breath test but does when they get drug tested.”
Sen Sgt Dunn also said it was rare that once a person was caught drink driving they were found to re-offend.
“Personally, I’ve never dealt with the same person twice, and I’ve been with Victoria Police for 15 years,” he said.
“That’s not to say it doesn’t happen; some people are not learning their lesson and are being selfish and irresponsible.”
According to the Transport Accident Commission (TAC) across the 2014 and 2015 calendar years, 48 drivers and motorcyclists who had a BAC greater than .05 lost their lives.
Acting Sen Sgt Dunn said it was important everyone on the road took responsibility for their actions.
“My road safety message is that the whole idea of driving a car is to get from one place to another, and to do that safely,” he said.
“Engaging in things like drink driving, using a phone, and speeding always increases the risk of being involved in a collision. People need to take responsibility and not engage in this kind of activity.”
“Pay attention and be mindful of what you are doing; if you are driving, you have a duty of care to everyone else on the road, motorists, bikes, pedestrians; you have a duty of care to everyone else.”
