Police target drivers

BASS Coast Highway Patrol and the Traffic Accident Commission have teamed up to launch an operation targeting drink and drug drivers.

Bass Coast Highway Patrol Leading Senior Constable Scott Simcock submitted an application to the TAC to fund the Altered State Operation, aimed at eliminating offenders driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol in an attempt to keep South Gippsland’s roads safe.

“Alcohol and drug affected drivers continue to be a concern for us and we will always try to combat this irresponsible behaviour with targeted patrols,” he said.

Bass Coast Highway Patrol received approximately $19,000 in extra funding from the TAC for the operation which commenced in January.

“The unit will operate in marked and unmarked patrol vehicles and will do a combination of breath and drug testing sites,” S/C Simcock said.

“The testing sites will be set up in varying locations and various times and dates. There is no set routine. They could pop up anywhere, anytime.”

So far 753 motorists have been breath tested. Bass Coast Highway Patrol has already detected seven motorists drink driving and four drug drivers since the operation commenced.

A further 16 motorists have been caught speeding in Bass Coast and South Gippsland and five have been caught not wearing a seatbelt. Three drivers have been found using their mobile phones and one unlicensed driver has been taken off the road.

“Alcohol and drug affected drivers continue to be involved in collisions in our area and we have had several recent fatalities and a number of serious injury collisions that have been directly caused by impaired drivers,” S/C Simcock said.

Police conducted drug and alcohol tests in a Highway Patrol bus on Bass Highway at Grantville over the weekend. The road operation was conducted in conjunction with the Towards Zero campaign, an initiative with a goal to eliminate the road toll.

At the time of print, 90 people have died in Victoria as a result of road trauma in 2016.

Testing drivers: Bass Coast Highway Patrol has been testing drivers across the region for drink and drug driving in its new Altered State Operation.

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Posted by Tayla Kershaw on Apr 19 2016. Filed under News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry