Acting Inspector Amanda Bowden, Footscray Police Station
Police in Melbourne’s western suburbs are gearing up for Operation Arid, a state wide road policing operation conducted over the Labour Day long weekend.
Operation Arid commences 0001 hours on Friday 11th March to 2359 hours Monday 14th March 2022.
Operation Arid will use all available personnel from local road policing units, general duties and other regional resources. Specialist road policing resources including booze buses will be tasked to identified high risk areas, and mobile speed cameras will be set up in high risk locations.
The major focus for the operation will be on impaired driving, speed, fatigue, distraction offences and seatbelt compliance. Police will be out in force both to educate drivers and to enforce road rules, with a view to preventing lives lost and serious injuries.
Acting Senior Sergeant Amber Rawson from Westgate Highway Patrol said: “We’re aware this this is one of the first long weekends where people’s movements aren’t restricted so we anticipate a lot more traffic on the roads. We are appealing for motorists to plan ahead, and to manage their fatigue so that they arrive to their destination safely.”
Acting Senior Sergeant Rawson reinforced that road policing is everyone’s business, and that each of us have a role to play in reducing road trauma.
That may be as simple and looking after mates and making sure they don’t drink or use drugs and drive, making sure drivers are well rested and have adequate breaks, and leaving just five minutes earlier so that motorists aren’t rushing to their destination.
Equally important is consideration for vulnerable road users such as pedestrians and cyclists, where speeding and distracted drivers can have a devastating impact on a life in an instant.
Dangerous road user behaviour should be reported either to triple zero for urgent matters, or for information which may assist police investigations to Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
