Tara Murray
Police will be out in force on the roads in and around Brimbank the next couple of weeks.
With many people taking a long weekend due to the Melbourne Cup, the roads will be busier than usual.
This weekend also sees the return of Melburnians being able to travel to regional areas with restrictions easing.
Operation Compass will run statewide in two phases, from Friday to Tuesday and then from November 5 to November 7.
The Princes, Calder, Hume and Western highways will be among the roads targeted,
Police are anticipating an influx of travel to regional areas and tourism hotspots. They’re warning drivers increased traffic volumes combined with long hours behind the wheel and a deterioration in driving skills could be a recipe for disaster.
Eleven lives were lost on Victorian roads last year when lockdown lifted.
Road Policing Assistant Commissioner Glenn Weir said Victorians had done a fantastic job in the fight against COVID-19, but said it was no good surviving the pandemic if you end up dead or seriously injured in a car crash.
“The coming fortnight is a perfect storm on our roads,” he said. “Many of us haven’t driven long distances for months. Our skills have deteriorated and there’s going to be an enormous amount of traffic as people escape the city and head to regional Victoria.
“Victoria Police will be going all out to keep people safe. You will see highway patrol cars, you will see drug and alcohol buses, you will see our motorbikes and you will see our frontline patrol units.”
