Operation targets a range of offences to curb annual road toll
The South Australian Police is warning drivers to be careful over the weekend with the beginning of school holidays and supporters making the journey to Victoria for the AFL Grand Final.
The warning comes as Operation Safe Long Weekend October 2017 gets underway from tomorrow and runs until Monday night.
“Unfortunately, every October Long Weekend since 2008 has resulted in lives lost on our roads,” SA Police superintendent Anthony Fioravanti says.
“In just the past five years since 2012, there have been nine deaths and 52 serious injury crashes over the October Long Weekends.
“Last year, two people lost their lives, with seven serious injury crashes.”
Focusing on speeding, seat belt compliance, drink and drug driving and dangerous driving over the weekend period, Fioravanti says “police will be paying particular attention to locations and times with the highest volume of traffic, but we remind drivers that they can be stopped anywhere in the state, at any time and be tested for drugs and alcohol.”
“We will also pay specific attention to road users along the main SA highways heading to Melbourne on Friday and the return trip following the game,” he says.
“I ask every driver to accept their responsibility to drive safely and according to the road rules. A split second checking your phone, or having that extra drink, or not driving to conditions and speed limits can change your life – and someone else’s – forever.
“I remind all drivers that driving over the legal alcohol limit of 0.05 severely reduces the ability to drive safely, while there is no legal limit when it comes to drugs: it is an offence to get behind the wheel with illicit drugs in your system.”
The operation begins at 3pm on Friday, September 29 and runs until midnight on Monday, October 2.