Police across the Wellington and East Gippsland divisions have expressed satisfaction with road user behaviour following the conclusion of the five-day statewide road policing effort, Operation Nexus.
Running from April 2 to April 6, the operation saw a significant police presence across regional Victoria to manage high Easter traffic volumes.
Despite the influx of travellers, the local division recorded only five collisions throughout the period — none of which occurred during typical road use. Of the incidents reported, four were off-road recreational trail bike collisions in the Wellington area, while the fifth was a minor car park collision in East Gippsland. Senior Sergeant Luke Banwell, of the Divisional Road Policing Unit, described the outcome as a “great result” given the high volume of vehicles on the road. While collision rates remained low, police were active in detecting high-risk driving behaviours.
East Gippsland reported 165 general traffic offences and 10 alcohol or drug driving detections, while Wellington recorded 127 general offences and four alcohol or drug detections.
Officers conducted 132 shifts totalling 566 patrol hours and performed 4971 preliminary breath tests. Senior Sergeant Banwell noted that speeding remains the most prevalent issue, with drivers commonly detected travelling more than 20km/h over the posted limit.
“It is concerning that alcohol and drug driving, as well as speeding, are still common on our roads,” Senior Sergeant Banwell said.
“We continue to put downward pressure on these offences.”
As the region moves into winter and driving conditions become more adverse, police are reminding residents not to become complacent.
Senior Sergeant Banwell highlighted a sobering statistic, noting that 70 per cent of road fatalities involve locals rather than visitors.
“More often than not, it is local people involved in these serious collisions rather than visitors or tourists,” he said.
The community is advised that the next major road policing effort, Operation Tribute, will coincide with the ANZAC Day weekend, running from April 24 to April 26.
