Police have issued a stern warning to unauthorised drivers thinking about getting behind the wheel this Australia Day long weekend – you will be caught.
Operation Amity will see police across the state utilising automatic number plate recognition technology (ANPR) to detect and remove drivers and motorcyclists who are unlicenced, suspended and disqualified.
With all Victoria Police highway patrol vehicles fitted with the technology, as well as additional police vehicles in regional and specialist areas as part of an ongoing trial, there are now more ANPR-fitted police vehicles on Victorian roads than ever before.
It is estimated that ANPR can scan up to 76 million number plates each year – or 8,675 number plates an hour.
During a recent statewide road policing operation, ANPR helped police detect 1,021 motorists who should not be on the roads, 33 per cent more than the previous year.
It comes as unauthorised drivers were involved in 31 fatal collisions last year, a 29 per cent increase on the previous year.
Unauthorised drivers are considered high-risk on the roads due to the often recidivist nature of their offending – unlicenced drivers have not undertaken the necessary training to safely operate a vehicle, whilst drivers who are suspended or disqualified have committed prior offences, predominately speeding, drink or drug driving, or a combination.
Police will utilise all ANPR-fitted highway patrol vehicles as part of Operation Amity, a statewide road policing effort launching this week to coincide with the high-risk Australia Day period.
The five-day operation will see police highly visible and enforcing to reduce road trauma across the unofficial long weekend, with a focus on major arterials, coastal holiday hotspots, and travel on rural roads.
It comes as 24 lives have been lost on Victorian roads in the first 23 days of the year, double the five-year average of 12, with three quarters of fatalities occurring on rural roads this year.
Police will be targeting speeding motorists and conducting widespread alcohol and drug testing after detecting 4,803 speeding offences and 886 drug and alcohol offences during a recent Christmas 12-day road safety blitz.
Operation Amity commences at 12:01am on Wednesday 25 January and concludes at 23:59pm on Sunday 29 January.
For more information and tips for staying safe on the roads visit the Road Safety page on the Victoria Police website.
Quotes attributable to Assistant Commissioner Road Policing, Glenn Weir:
“Our capability to detect and enforce against unauthorised drivers and motorcyclists has never been greater.
“These drivers have no right to be on our roads and pose a significant risk, not only to themselves but to all road users. Increasingly, we’re seeing unauthorised drivers involved in road trauma and fatal collisions.
“Our ANPR technology gives us another set of eyes on the roads to stop these drivers in their tracks.
“Unauthorised drivers should think twice about getting behind the wheel, as you will be caught.
“Police will be highly visible and enforcing to reduce road trauma during Operation Amity – as well as unauthorised drivers, we’ll be targeting speeding motorists and conducting widespread alcohol and drug testing during the Australia Day period.
