Drink drivers appal police

By Shaun Inguanzo
MELBOURNE’S most dangerous intersection is a drink-driving hotspot after a police crackdown saw more than 70 motorists charged with breaching the limit and other traffic offences.
Local police are appalled by the results of Operation Crossroads at the Springvale intersection known as ‘spaghetti junction’ by locals.
The results also follow VicRoads’s comment last week that it won’t carry out major improvements to the intersection where its own report said 96 people have either died or been seriously injured in the four years to 2004.
The junction of Springvale, Police and Centre Roads with the Princes Highway carries 120,000 vehicles per day, according to VicRoads data.
The report said that in the four year period there were 207 crashes at the junction.
Regional Traffic Unit senior sergeant Ken Dunlop said he could not believe the number of people who were willing to risk their family’s safety on the roads.
“Why do so many people feel they have the ability to drive outside the law, when we have evidence that proves drink-driving kills?” asked a baffled Sen Sgt Dunlop.
“What concerns me is when you consider the distances people are travelling or expecting to travel while under the influence of alcohol.”
Offenders came from Greater Dandenong, Casey and inner Melbourne, he said.
Divisional superintendent Chris Ferguson described drink-driving as a ‘deadly cocktail’ and appealed for commonsense driving on the road.
“We ask again for the community’s assistance because we firmly believe that taking personal responsibility, applying peer group pressure and responsible parenting can all have an impact on our drink-driving road toll.”