Bendigo’s Highway Patrol has had a boost with a new patrol car and two extra motorcycles on the roads.
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Highway Patrol’s first BMW patrol car has been part of the fleet for nearly three weeks now.
Highway Patrol has also been loaned two motorcycles from Melbourne to use for both enforcement and education.
Bendigo Highway Patrol’s Senior Sergeant Ian Brook said it was a “privilege” to have one of the first BMW Patrol Cars placed in a regional area.
In time the entire Highway Patrol fleet will be made up of BMWs. In the coming months Bendigo will receive 12 of the new cars, refreshing its aging fleet of Holden Commodores.
It’s just giving us another tool, and anything we can get that’s going to reduce the road toll, we’ll take it.
- Senior Sergeant Ian Brooks
BMWs were chosen as the new fleet vehicle as there were no longer any suitable vehicles made by Australian manufacturers, Senior Sergeant Brooks said.
Stringent testing showed the cars were the most suitable for the work of Highway Patrol.
The BMWs are factory produced and unmodified. The installation of Highway Patrol’s equipment and electronics has been the only change made to the cars.
“It’s fantastic, it’s a very very nice vehicle to drive, and it’s very very comfortable,” Senior Sergeant Brooks said.
“[It] gave us the safest vehicle to do the work that we have to do.”
Highway Patrol has also been lucky to get a loan of two motorcyles to use for enforcement and education.
Senior Sergeant Brooks said the bikes were valuable as another enforcement tool for the patrol.
They would be especially effective, for instance, at catching people using mobile phones in their laps, he said.
Police will also use the bikes to educate people about motorcycle safety.
The loan bikes will be used to increase the Highway Patrol’s policing over the Christmas period.
Senior Sergeant Brooks said the chance to borrow the bikes was “fantastic”.
“It’s just giving us another tool, and anything we can get that’s going to reduce the road toll, we’ll take it,” Senior Sergeant Brooks said.
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