Operation Furlong results show drivers in the Greater Bendigo area still take risks

Operation Furlong was held over five days and targeted high-risk driving behaviour, with a focus on speeding, impaired driving, and distraction.

Whilst some figures were lower during Operation Furlong than in Operation Scoreboard, Bendigo police remain concerned about some of the dangerous driving behaviours some motorists continue to take.

"Overall in Bendigo, the figures were quite disappointing - especially around impaired driving," Bendigo Highway Patrol Senior Sergeant Ian Brooks said.

"That's pure irresponsible behaviour when you consider what everybody's going through at the moment.

"And the fact that we've got people who were taking risks on the roads to those extremes."

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Snr Sgt Brooks said impaired driving was the issue that stood out most to him for the Western Victoria area.

"The only area that a got a higher number than our part of the world was Geelong," he said.

"That to me indicates that people are just not paying attention to what they're doing, and they taking those unnecessary risks."

Snr Sgt Brooks said something that "stood out markedly" to him was the number of motorists driving 10-25 kilometres an hour over the speed limit.

He said in Western Victoria, 455 people were caught driving at that speed range.

"That numbers a lot higher than I recall seeing this operation in other years," Snr Sgt Brooks said.

The Snr Sgt said we learnt from the last two police road operations that there was a culture of non-compliance and people were not using the safety features of in their cars to the best of their ability.

The figures from Operation Furlong included:

Bendigo

Campaspe

Macedon Ranges

Goldfields

State-wide, 5433 traffic offences were detected during Operation Furlong, with almost 40 per cent of those for speeding.

Sadly, three lives were lost on Victorian roads during the long weekend operation - two motorcyclist fatalities in Wandong on Friday and Woodend on Saturday, and a 24-year-old male driver in Bundoora on Monday.

That brings the total number of lives lost this year to 210 - which is 26 higher than last year and well above the five-year average of 192.

Alarmingly, one in every 295 motorists tested were caught for drink driving offences, which is an increase on last month's strike rate over the AFL Grand Final long weekend where one in every 536 motorists were detected for drink driving.

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Snr Sgt Brooks said it was concerning to see how many people from across the state (136) were caught for not wearing a seatbelt.

"Those numbers just continue to sit at that high level, which is just totally unacceptable," he said.

Snr Sgt Brooks said he was bemused as to why people thought it was a good idea to not wear a seatbelt

"That to me just complete indicates a complete disregard for their own safety," he said.

There were 232 motorists caught for using their mobile phone.

"Those numbers are just ridiculous," Snr Sgt Brooks said.

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Across Victoria, 433 unlicensed, disqualified/suspended drivers were recorded.

Worryingly, 187 drug driving offences were recorded from 2,662 roadside drug tests.

A total of 689 unregistered vehicles were detected, while 299 motorists disobeyed signs/signals.

And finally, 145 vehicles were impounded.

Acting Assistant Commissioner Road Policing Justin Goldsmith said as the festive holiday season approached and people go out and socialise, they should take alternative transport options and avoid drink and drug driving.

"We will be focusing our efforts on widespread alcohol and drug testing as we head towards the end of the year, so you can be confident you will be tested and caught, even if you're only a little bit over the limit," he said.

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