Almost one in 60 of the drivers tested were found to have excessive alcohol in their system during a road policing crackdown in Altona this weekend.
Operation Leviathan saw officers targeting impaired drivers with 3648 vehicles stopped for testing on the Princes Freeway on Friday and Saturday night.
Police caught 63 people drink driving with five of those also found to have drugs in their system.
Officers impounded 19 vehicles as part of the operation.
One driver who was stopped by police at the booze bus, a 32-year-old Point Cook man, returned a BAC reading of .164
Their drivers’ licence was immediately suspended for 12 months while their vehicle was impounded for a period of 30 days and they will be summonsed to face court at a later date.
Meanwhile one motorist, a 28-year-old Ardeer man, rolled their car at Altona Meadows while attempting to evade police.
He was taken to hospital and will be processed at a later date.
Victoria Police is warning motorists there will be zero tolerance to drink and drug driving, with significant penalties for those who disregard the rules.
First time offenders who are fully licenced and over 26 years of age caught with a blood alcohol limit between .05 and .07 receive a $577 fine and immediate three-month licence suspension.
The penalties increase substantially for those under 26 years of age, those required to have a zero blood or breath alcohol level, those caught for second or subsequent drink driving offences, and those caught over .07 or above – including larger fines, longer licence suspensions, alcohol interlocks, attendance at court and even jail time for the most serious offences.
Operation Leviathan was conducted by Westgate Highway Patrol members, with support from uniform police, and Road Policing Drug and Alcohol Section.
