By Mitchell Clarke
Almost 60 drug affected drivers were nabbed on the road across Cardinia Shire during a two-and-a-half week police crackdown on dangerous driving.
The state-wide operation, which ran from 22 October to 8 November, coincided with two major public holidays and the easing of restrictions in Victoria.
Eight drink drivers and 58 drug drivers were caught in Cardinia over the 17 day period, compared to nine drink drivers and six drug drivers in Casey, according to figures from Victoria Police.
Cardinia Highway Patrol sergeant Paul Holtzinger said police threw all resources at the operation and were committed to removing dangerous drivers from the road.
The Cardinia PSA (Police Service Area) conducted the most breath tests across the state – almost 4200 people.
“We know this is an issue in the area, especially around this time of year. We’re coming out Covid, people are starting to let their hair down again. We know in the past that there has been a trend that people will drink and take drugs and then drive during the Grand Final and Cup Day long weekends,” Sgt Holtzinger explained.
“We’ve got a very dedicated team here and we try, in the first instance, to proactively educate people and warn them to not drive which under the influence.”
But despite repeated warnings, drug affected drivers still made the dangerous decision to get behind the wheel.
“We’ve commonly referred to it as a disappointing success,” Sgt Holtzinger explained.
“It’s disappointing that these affected drivers continue to drive even after relentless media campaigns, but the success is that we are intercepting these people and getting them off the road.”
Sgt Holtzinger said the highway patrol had a goal to breath test every intercepted vehicle.
“We don’t make any apologies for the inconvenience of pulling people over to breath test or drug test them,” he said.
“The message is clear. We know that drinking alcohol or taking drugs and driving isn’t a good mix, which is why we’re out there and we will go to the end of the earth to do a lot of breath testing and drug testing, and for that we generally get a positive response from the community.”
Meanwhile, 18 disqualified drivers, 39 unlicensed drivers and 95 unregistered vehicles were nabbed throughout the shire.
Nine people were caught on their phones, while two weren’t wearing a seatbelt. Almost 220 speeding offences were detected.
Road Policing Command acting assistant commissioner John Fitzpatrick said 417 people were caught drink driving and 487 were found with drugs in their system across Victoria.
He said road trauma was preventable, but it was important to focus on the task at hand when getting into the driver’s seat.
“This year has been a challenging year for all Victorians. To then lose a loved one as a result of road trauma is just devastating,” A/AC Fitzpatrick said.
“Particularly as we head into the Christmas period, the feeling of loss is often felt so much more.”
Operation Saturn ran from 12.01am on Thursday 22 October to 11.59pm on Sunday 8 November 2020.
