![Police urge road safety for Australia Day Police urge road safety for Australia Day](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/dNmjTCUWGCi8W4CsChEdGZ/7d2b0392-2957-4da9-aae7-ddf14a77990e.JPG/r0_157_3452_2099_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Victoria Police want Australia Day to memorable for the right reasons and are urging motorists to stay safe on the roads.
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Acting Assistant Commissioner Debra Robertson said the statewide road safety focus for the coming weekend was launched on Wednesday with Operation Amity.
Operation Amity will focus on detection and enforcement of excessive speed, driver distraction, seatbelts, fatigue, drug and drink driving – all major contributing factors in fatalities.
“The operation will run for five days over a time when Victorians like to get away,” Acting Assistant Commissioned Robertson said.
“With motorists and families travelling on often unfamiliar roads, we know that the smallest mistake can have devastating consequences.
“I’m urging motorists to take the time to consider their safety when they get in their car and I want motorists to think it could happen to them.”
The warning comes a year after four people died in four separate collisions on the Australia Day weekend last year.
“Fourteen people have lost their lives on the roads this year compared to 11 in 2016. By the end of January last year 21 people were dead,” Acting Assistant Commissioned Robertson said.
“What I want to stress is that even though this operation runs for five days our focus on road safety will continue.
“It’s true, we can’t be everywhere, but we will be somewhere - so if you choose to put yourself, your family or other road users at risk, you will be dealt with accordingly.”
The five police service areas identified as priorities during the operation this year, taking into account the number of collisions, injuries and volume of trauma in the past over a long weekend, are Benalla, Wodonga, Nillumbik, Whittlesea and Surf Coast.