No bloody idiots, top cop vows

By Nicole Williams
GREATER Dandenong’s top traffic cop is urging motorists not to be stupid on the roads this silly season.
Following a weekend where three drivers were nabbed behind the wheel with blood alcohol levels well over the legal limit, Sergeant Pat McGavigan from the Greater Dandenong Highway Patrol said they would try to keep people safe this Christmas period.
“We want everyone to have a safe Christmas and New Year and we don’t want to remember this Christmas because of tragedy,” Sgt McGavigan said.
“If people are going to drive cars, they need to be responsible as to their own actions.”
On Sunday night, a Cranbourne man was caught at a Dandenong booze-bus on Princes Highway with a blood alcohol level of .201.
The 55-year-old was driving home from a church Christmas party, with his three young children in the back, when he was intercepted at 9.30pm.
The man’s licence was suspended for one year and he will be summonsed to appear in the Dandenong Magistrates’ Court at a later date.
The same booze-bus also stopped a 22-year-old Narre Warren man driving at .164 and a 56-year-old Dandenong woman who blew .142.
The woman told police she had just left a Christmas party and was on her way to visit her mother.
Sgt McGavigan said the Highway Patrol were also out over the weekend but luckily did not catch any drink drivers.
“We did over 500 breath tests but there was no one over .05,” he said.
“However, we still managed to catch six disqualified drivers, three unlicensed drivers and a number of other speeding and driving offences.”
Operation Aegis XI, targeting speeding and distracted drivers, kicked off on Friday 16 December and will run until Thursday 22 December when nation-wide Operation Crossroads begins.
Sgt McGavigan said police would be out in force to catch anyone being irresponsible on the roads.
“Police will be working through the Christmas period and we’ll be doing random breath testing and trying to catch people doing the wrong thing,” he said.
“We’re trying to keep people safe during the Christmas period and if people do the right thing, they won’t have anything to worry about.”
Head of Road Policing Deputy Commissioner Kieran Walshe said it was a critical time on Victorian roads.
“This is a busy time of year – we are all attending a number of social gatherings including end of year functions and Christmas parties and this heightens the risk of drink drivers on our roads,” he said.
“People are more likely to be fatigued from late nights out; they are rushing on our roads, risking speeding and can be distracted by mobile phone use or by simply trying to do too much.”