For the past five years, March has been the deadliest time on the roads for Victorian motorists.
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That's why Victoria Police have launched a major month-long roadside operation to target road users doing the wrong thing and ultimately save lives.
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Coordinated by the state Road Policing Command, Operation Engage will see the roads in regional and metropolitan areas swamped by police for the entire month.
Bendigo Police Highway Patrol Senior Sergeant Ian Brooks said the operation was about taking a proactive stance on road safety.
"Instead of just targeting the busy Labor Day long weekend, we will be targeting the whole month," he said.
"We will be working with the state highway patrol, heavy vehicle unit, as well as our drug and alcohol section and they will be coming up to work in our area on certain days this month.
"Obviously our educational messages are not coming through so this is now an enforcement message and there will be no apologies for it.
"We will have no sympathy for anyone that breaks the law and there will absolutely no tolerance."
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A total 25 fatalities were recorded in March last year.
Senior Sergeant Brooks said police would be doing all they can to avoid a repeat, with 50 lives already lost on Victoria's roads since January.
Just over 30 of those have been lost on rural roads.
The figure includes a significant spike in motorcycle fatalities which have increased two-fold compared with the previous 12 months.
"This operation is also in response to the increase in fatalities that we have had this year on Victorian roads," he said.
"Being that we have had 17 more this year than what we had last year, is just ridiculous. I don't understand why."
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Police intelligence shows over the past five years road trauma collisions in both rural and metropolitan Melbourne peaked in March.
Speed, drink and drug driving, fatigue and motorists not wearing seatbelts were the biggest contributors.
Motorcycle collisions also historically peak in March with police to engage with riders on taking extra precautions to stay safe.
Heavy vehicles will be targeted with random compliance checks throughout the month.
"We will be conducting operations around heavy vehicles and we will also be doing lots around motorcycles as they are featuring quite highly at the moment," Senior Sergeant Brooks said.
"We want to put the message out there, that this is a highly visible and highly effective road operation.
"Taking the risks and doing the wrong thing is just not on and there have been far too many people killed on our roads."
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Operation Engage will include a police blitz over the Labour Day long weekend as people head to the regions.
More than 60 per cent of road fatalities this year have occurred on rural roads.
The number of lives lost in March last year was second only to November during which 28 deaths were recorded.
We will have no sympathy for anyone that breaks the law and there will be absolutely no tolerance.
- Senior Sergeant Ian Brooks
Assistant Commissioner Road Policing Glenn Weir said March was becoming "synonymous with road trauma".
"It's about time we changed that - it's completely unacceptable," he said
"With such a terrible start to the year on our roads, we're really ramping up our focus on road safety this month.
"All road users should expect to see Victoria Police out on roads."
Operation Engage has begun and will conclude at 23:59pm on Thursday, March 31.
For more information and tips for staying safe on the roads visit the Road Safety page on the Victoria Police website.
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