By Bridget Cook
POLICE detected 12 drink-drivers in Greater Dandenong in the first 72 hours of a massive, nation-wide police operation, as the city is named as a drink-driving hot spot.
The drivers were caught during Operation RAID – one of the nation’s biggest road blitzes targeting drug and drink driving.
Whilst the operation is happening all around the state, police have identified Victoria’s top 15 high-risk areas for alcohol-related road trauma, with Greater Dandenong being named.
This means local police will be joined by additional police from the State Highway Patrol and Operations Response Unit to help crack down on drink and drug driving in the area.
The operation kicked off last Friday and will run to 12 December.
In the first 72 hours police breath-tested 1402 drivers, detected 12 offences.
This figure was the second highest recorded across the state.
On Tuesday, police detected a 55-year-old female driver with a blood alcohol reading of 0.20 as part of the operation.
Police intercepted the woman in Autumn Place, Doveton about 11am.
Greater Dandenong Highway Patrol Acting Senior Sergeant Scott Roberts said police will be out enmasse targeting drink-drivers.
“The chances of being detected are exceptionally high,” he said.
“Anyone who chooses to run the gauntlet will be caught.” Acting Sen Sgt Roberts said the operation is run at this time of the year as it’s the lead up to the festive season.
“It’s a very appropriate time to be targeting alcohol and drug related offences,” he said.
“It’s still run early enough, for police to run their own localised operations just before the party season.”
Operation RAID stands for Remove All Impaired Drivers and aims to remove motorist from the road who are impaired by alcohol or drugs.
Hundreds of police will be saturating roads across the state and pledge to catch those who put other road users at risk.
As part of Operation RAID last year, police removed 1616 drink drivers and 28 drug drivers from Victoria’s roads.
