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Bendigo police are calling on motorists to obey traffic lights and signs as almost 250 offences have been detected in the first few weeks of a policing operation.
The second phase of Operation Millet is targeting drivers who fail to give way or stop, and those who disobey traffic signals or signs.
It has been running throughout June and so far, officers have uncovered 245 offences – nine of which were road users who failed to stop or giveway; one was for failing to obey traffic lights; and 10 were for motorists who disobeyed other signs.
Acting Senior Sergeant Mick McCrann said those types of offences were over-represented in crash data.
“If we target these and reduce them, then what we’re reducing isn’t just the number of offences but potentially the number of injuries on our roads,” he said.
“If you look at those offences, think of them in terms of most of them being a collision where somebody’s car and/or cars are damaged, where people are injured and then put that in terms of your own family and friends.”
June’s operation follows on from the first phase in May, which focused on distraction offences, such as mobile phone use while driving.
Acting Senior Sergeant McCrann said road trauma impacted everyone, not just the emergency workers or people involved at the scene.
“These are people on their way to work, on their way home, going to the gym, picking up kids from school, having these kinds of accidents every day,” he said.
“And that has a traumatic effect on their extended families and friends, their children.”
The operation continues until June 30 with all policing units on the look-out for motorists failing to obey signs or traffic lights.
“We’re targeting those offences and asking people just to be mindful when pulling out, giving way, or turning right – obey the traffic lights and signs,” Acting Senior Sergeant McCrann said.
“It’s obvious that just a few extra seconds might be the difference between being involved in one of these [collisions] or not.”