Brimbank Highway Patrol members have credited increased enforcement for pleasing results on the road during the festive season.
At the beginning of December, police launched Operation Bikestrike in an effort to combat high numbers of serious injury collisions involving motorcycles within Brimbank.
Brimbank Highway Patrol Acting Sergeant Trent Hewet said the increased enforcement produced pleasing results during its first month. As the operation is ongoing, official figures are yet to be made public.
“We’ve been running Operation Bikestrike since December 1 and it’s been successful in causing a reduction of serious injury collisions involving motorcycles within the Brimbank patrol area,” he said.
“Both overt and covert patrols have been enhanced in attempt to drive the ‘Road to zero’ message.
“The results have been pleasing to date, however the operation will run through until May.”
While the number of serious collisions was down, Acting Sergeant Hewet said road users needed to remain vigilant as traffic began to build with people returning to work.
“A lack of concentration or forward planning when driving could very quickly reverse the pleasing results achieved to date,” he said.
Operation Bikestrike is running parallel with Operation Summer, which aims to remove drink and drug drivers from the road.
Acting Sergeant Hewet said the operation had served an important purpose.
“Statewide, the main causes of fatalities and serious injury collisions are drink and drug driving and excessive speed,” he said.
“These issues both play a large role in causing serious collisions locally, so we’ve partnered with the TAC to remove impaired drivers from our roads. We’ll continue to be out enforcing in large numbers as summer heats up.”
