BENDIGO police have issued a plea for motorists to take care this Labour Day long weekend in the wake of a string of fatal collisions in the region.
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Operation Arid kicks off on Friday and will see police out and about, targeting high-risk driving behaviour in a four-day operation.
It comes after a Maiden Gully teen was tragically killed on Wednesday night.
March has historically been the highest-risk month on Victorian roads, and police intelligence shows collisions in both rural and metropolitan Melbourne peaked in March over the last five years - attributed to speed, impaired driving, fatigue and seatbelt non-compliance.
There were 25 fatalities recorded in March last year with seven of those occurring over the Labour Day long weekend.
"We need to reduce the lives lost on the road," Highway Patrol's Senior Sergeant Ian Brooks said.
"Fatal collisions have that ongoing impact on communities as a whole, obviously my condolences go out to all the families impacted but it extends past them, it's a community thing. Local groups, clubs and people are suffering from this trauma."
"We will be targeting anyplace that has a road on it, we will be everywhere and we will be in places where you don't usually see us."
Police have already ramped up enforcement this month in response to the high-risk period with 570 traffic infringements issued during the first week of March - a quarter for speeding.
Automatic number plate recognition technology fitted out in highway patrol vehicles detected 101 unauthorised drivers - either for being unlicenced, disqualified or for driving an unregistered vehicle.
With favourable weather conditions expected for the long weekend, police are preparing for an influx of travel to popular areas around regional Victoria.
Police will focus their efforts on major events and music festivals taking place across the state, conducting extensive alcohol and drug testing to prevent impaired driving.
"This year has particular importance because everyone has been released from lockdown and it's the first time really people have been going out and about," Senior Sergeant Brooks said.
"March is a bad month, we are just asking people are paying a little more attention to what they are doing to ensure that they can get home to their families and it will mean that we can go home to our families less traumatised from the things we have to deal with.
"It's really reinforcing the message that it's a dangerous time on our roads, we will have a lot more traffic on the roads and there will be that increased vulnerability for people.
"We will be going out there to ensure that they do so safely."
More crime news:
There were 6762 traffic offences detected during the Labour Day long weekend in 2021 with 2906 speeding offences, 215 drink drivers, 195 drug drivers and 263 mobile phone offences.
"Lessons are not being learnt and people are not paying attention on the roads. It's about us enforcing safety," Senior Sergeant Brooks said.
"Road safety is everyone's responsibility and people need to take their breaks, it's a combination of things."
Operation Arid commences at 12:01am on Friday and concludes at 23:59pm on Monday March 14.
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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