Victoria Police has caught more than 2800 road users breaking the law during the three weeks of its safety campaign
February 21, 2012
Victoria Police has caught more than 2800 road users breaking the law during the three weeks of its safety campaign, Operation Halo.
About 100 police officers worked each day across Melbourne, Port Phillip, Yarra, Boroondara and Stonington in peak commute times, targeting road trauma.
More than 350 car and truck drivers were caught disobeying traffic lights and signs, with 939 caught using mobile phones and 42 driving in bicycle lanes.
Another 17 were caught diverging when unsafe.
State Bicycle Coordinator Sergeant Arty Lavos says police were out again this morning at locations around the five areas enforcing the road rules.
“This operation is about targeting road trauma involving our vulnerable road users such as cyclists, motorcycle riders and pedestrians,” Lavos says.
“That doesn’t mean that we are targeting these road user groups. What we are targeting is the factors behind deaths and serious injuries involving vulnerable road users.”
The current road toll is 47 – which is 15 times higher than this time last year.
“Of those deaths, four have been cyclists, five pedestrians and six motorcycle riders,” Lavos says.