Drivers affected by alcohol and drugs will be key targets as one of Victoria Police’s largest annual road blitzes gets underway ahead of the long Easter break.
Operation Nexus will have a particular focus on roads and highways leading to regional areas and holiday hotspots such as Geelong, across the four-day long weekend.
Evidence of an increased police presence was already visible on Thursday morning, with multiple speed traps spotted catching Geelong motorists within hours of the crackdown’s midnight starting time.
Senior police said all available vehicles, from marked and unmarked patrol cars to booze and drug buses, would be deployed in an effot to keep the weekend fatality free.
Assistant Commissioner Road Policing, Glenn Weir, said officers would do everything in their power to ensure everyone survives Easter.
“This operation will see police out in force across the state,” he said.
“That will include local highway patrol units, the State Highway Patrol, solo units and our drug and alcohol bus fleet.
“It’s also important to remember every police car is a booze bus and drivers can be breath tested at any time.”
Operation Nexus comes just 17 days after the three-day Operation Arid, which saw more than 300 local drivers caught doing the wrong thing over the Labour Day weekend.
21 of those were charged with drink and drug-driving offences.
