14 caught in Friday night drink and drug driving Geelong blitz

Police detected 14 drink and drug drivers during a Friday night road policing blitz in Geelong.

Operation Corral involved the Road Policing Drug and Alcohol Section, State Highway Patrol and the Solo Unit, utilising booze buses, highway patrol vehicles and police motorcycles to target impaired drivers and high-risk driving behaviour in the Geelong area on Friday 21 August.

Police conducted 1,353 preliminary breath tests, with 10 drivers caught exceeding the alcohol limit – a strike rate of one in every 135 drivers tested.

There were also four drivers who returned positive tests for drugs, with police conducting 111 roadside drug tests – a strike rate of 1 in every 28 drivers tested.

Notably, police intercepted a vehicle which attempt to turn off to avoid a booze bus on Bacchus Marsh Road, Corio at approximately 9:57pm on Friday evening, with the 20-year-old female driver allegedly returning a positive roadside drug test, resulting in a $627 penalty and 6-month licence suspension.

While waiting for the evidentiary drug test to be performed, her passenger, a 31-year-old female, jumped in the driver’s seat to locate a nearby restroom, performed a u-turn onto Bacchus Marsh Road and was then directed straight into the bus testing site they had initially avoided and allegedly returned a breath test result of 0.133 – resulting in an immediate 12-month loss of licence and summons to Geelong Magistrates Court at a later date, and the vehicle impounded for 30 days at a cost of $1325.

Victoria Police is warning motorists there is a zero tolerance to drink and drug driving, with significant penalties for those who disregard the rules.

First time offenders who are fully licenced and over 26 years of age caught with a blood alcohol limit between 0.05 and 0.07 will receive a $627 fine and immediate three-month licence suspension.

The penalties increase substantially for those under 26 years of age, those required to have a zero blood or breath alcohol level, those caught for second or subsequent drink driving offences, and those caught over 0.07 or above – including larger fines, longer licence suspensions, alcohol interlocks, attendance at court and even jail time for the most serious offences.

Exceeding the prescribed concentration of drugs while driving carries a $627 penalty and a six-month licence suspension.

Police detected a total 67 offences during Operation Corral on Friday, including:

• 16 speeding offences
• 10 drink driving offences from 1,353 preliminary breath tests
• 9 disqualified / unlicenced / suspended drivers
• 9 defect notices
• 4 drug driving offences from 111 roadside drug tests
• 4 impoundments
• 4 mobile phone offences
• 2 seatbelt offences
• 2 unregistered vehicles

Victoria Police will continue to conduct several major road policing operations targeting impaired drivers over the coming months.

Motorists should expect to be tested – anywhere, anytime.

Media Unit

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