‘More concerned with being detected’: Police ‘concerned’ following three-month operation

By Max Stainkamph

Mar 8, 2023

Concerned: Police have conducted an operation across the region, nabbing more than 150 drivers doing the wrong thing. Photo by Rodney Braithwaite

Shepparton police Highway Patrol has nabbed a “concerning” number of drivers across a three-month operation, saying drivers were more worried about getting caught doing the wrong thing rather than having been speeding or driving under the influence.

Officers fined or charged 148 drivers over 171 offences, and impounded eight vehicles across summer.

Highway Patrol conducted Operation Limit from December to February, with support from the TAC, across 15 Saturday shifts.

Eight cars were impounded during the operation.

Shepparton Highway Patrol Sergeant Janne Kennedy said the numbers were “concerning”.

“A lot of drivers were not aware of their speeds or were more concerned with being detected than committing the actual offences, which is a worry, as the message that ‘slowing down saves lives’ clearly isn’t sinking in for some community members,” she said.

“Seatbelts around Shepparton are also a concern — we’re seeing a rise in drivers caught not wearing seatbelts.

“The same applies to drink driving — most of the community have grown up knowing that drinking and driving don’t mix, it’s nothing new.

“Don’t put the community at risk; arrange for a driver if you are having a night out, or if you choose to drive, don’t drink.”

Sgt Kennedy said it had been a “challenging start to the year”, with 12 lives lost already on the region’s roads.

“Road safety is everyone’s responsibility, and the onus is on all of us to drive more carefully — if we can commit to this, it will help to save lives,” she said.

The operation targeted speeding drivers on high-speed rural roads.

More than 150 of these offences resulted in penalty notices, while 16 offences were sent before the courts.

Police caught 95 instances of speeding and seven drug or alcohol driving offences, while they also recorded 24 counts of people not using seatbelts, mobile phones or disobeying traffic signs and another 29 instances of people driving without a valid licence.