Police are dismayed that motorists are still driving after drinking or taking drugs despite numerous warnings and blitzes.
More than 83 offences, including seven involving drink or drugs, were detected across Hobsons Bay and Maribyrnong during the Australia Day long weekend blitz dubbed Operation Amity.
In Maribyrnong, police caught three drink- drivers, four disqualified drivers and five unlicensed drivers.
Eight unregistered vehicles were detected, along with four speeding offences, four drivers disobeying traffic signals, one seat belt offence and one mobile phone offence.
One car was impounded and one cyclist was fined.
In Hobsons Bay, two drink-drivers and two drug-drivers on speed or ecstasy were caught.
Police detected 11 unregistered vehicles, three disqualified drivers, four unlicensed drivers, five speeding offences, two mobile phone offences and two people without seatbelts.
Acting Senior Sergeant Aaron Prentice- Evans, of the West Gate highway patrol, said many of the unregistered vehicles detected were motorbikes.
“It may be the weather,” he said. “People don’t ride their motorcycles for a long time, forget about them and when the warm weather comes they go for a ride and forget to pay for the registration and the other things that go with motorcycle ownership.”
A current police operation, Operation Montecristo, is targeting drug and alcohol- impaired drivers.
“It’s a TAC-supported operation,” Acting Senior Sergeant Prentice-Evans said.
“It’s focused on Friday and Saturday nights, which are high road trauma times.
“The biggest disappointment for us, particularly at this time of year, is that people are still drink-driving.
“But because we’re doing more roadside drug-testing, it’s indicating there is a significant problem with drug-driving, which is disappointing.”
