A police officer directs traffic during a massive booze bus operation on the weekend.A CRANBOURNE North P-plater was among 30 drink-drivers nabbed during a massive booze bus operation in Springvale on the weekend.
The driver was the first to be caught over the limit on Friday night, despite probationary drivers being required to have a blood alcohol reading of zero.
He was also wanted on two warrants of apprehension.
Operation Crossroads saw six booze buses placed around Springvale Junction – the intersection of Centre Road, Police Road, Princes Highway and Springvale Road – with 4825 motorists breath tested over the space of four and a half hours.
Of those caught on Friday, 22 were male and eight female.
The highest blood alcohol reading recorded by a male was 0.162, more than three times the legal alcohol limit, and the highest female recording was 0.129, almost triple the legal limit.
Senior Sergeant Ken Dunlop of the Region 5 Regional Traffic Tasking Unit said despite the figures being lower than previous operations, 30 drink-drivers was still 30 too many.
“The message is simple, if you are going to drive don’t drink,” Sen Sgt Dunlop said.
Sen Sgt Dunlop said what concerned police most was the distances people were travelling or expecting to travel while under the influence of alcohol.
He said a total of 60 offences were detected during the operation with motorists caught from across metropolitan Melbourne.
These included six drivers from Dandenong, two from Springvale, five from Noble Park, three from Endeavour Hills, two from Keysborough, one from Narre Warren and one from Eumemmerring.
“Again, this operation has been a very disappointing success,” Sen Sgt Dunlop said.
The weekend’s results coincided with Monday’s launch of another drink-driving operation in Springvale.
Operation Sandler, supported by the Transport Accident Commission (TAC), will target motorists on Springvale’s major arterial roads and intersections in the lead up to Christmas.
Greater Dandenong Traffic Management Unit Acting Senior Sergeant Mark Denton said the new operation was very timely considering Friday night’s alarming results.
“It appears that some members of our community have a chronic disregard for the law and for the safety of other motorists on the road,” he said.
“This behaviour will not be tolerated and police will continue to target drink-driving with this new operation.
“We need to get it through to people that even the smallest amount of alcohol in the blood stream can impair one’s driving skills.”
