Victoria Police caught 835 drink and drug drivers in the Frankston area and along the Mornington Peninsula over the past year.
Preliminary data from the 24/25 FY reveals more than half of all drug drivers were repeat offenders, while one in five drink drivers had been previously caught over the blood alcohol concentration limit.
471 drug drivers were detected, with Peninsula Link and the Mornington Peninsula Freeway hotspots for these offenders.
83 drivers - or 18% - tested positive to more than one illicit substance, with 359 - or 76% - testing positive for methylamphetamine.
Alarmingly, more than 60% of those under the influence of methylamphetamine were repeat offenders.
Of the 364 drink drivers detected, around 19% had blood alcohol concentration levels more than three times the legal limit, while 5% were more than four times over.
Among those caught by police were:
- A 24-year-old male who allegedly killed a 69-year-old man who was walking in Hastings on 12 May. The male was allegedly riding an e-bike while under the influence of drugs. He has been charged with a range of offences, including dangerous driving causing death and drug driving offences.
- A 41-year-old man who allegedly blew more than eight-and-a-half times the legal limit after crashing his Subaru Forrester into parked cars in Frankston on 1 February. After allegedly returning a reading of 0.430, he was charged with high range drink driving.
- A 42-year-old woman who allegedly returned a positive breath test of 0.230 - more than four-and-a-half times the legal limit - after a head-on crash at Dromana on 15 July. She was charged with exceeding the prescribed concentration of alcohol and received an immediate licence ban. Her driver's licence was disqualified for 23 months at a subsequent court hearing.
Local police have continued their road safety blitz this week, with scores of police units saturating the Peninsula Link on Thursday targeting impaired, unlicensed, suspended and disqualified drivers.
In just four hours, the operation led to:
- 352 breath tests conducted
- Three drivers return positive readings for exceeding the blood alcohol concentration limit
- 90 oral fluid tests
- One driver returned positive detection to an illicit substance
- Two Penalty Infringement notices (PINs) issues unlicensed driving
- Two suspended drivers detected
- Four vehicles impounded
- 5000 number plates scanned by ANPR devices
- 15 heavy vehicles were fully inspected, with three load restraint breaches, including a truck carrying an unrestrained 20-tonne load. Three defect notices were also issued.
- One arrest over alleged family violence order breaches. The man was released pending summons
Of note:
- An unlicensed P-plater was allegedly caught drinking alcohol while driving through the RBT site. He already returned a positive reading of 0.230. He was charged with unlicensed driving, exceeding the prescribed concentration of alcohol and his vehicle was impounded.
- A 70-year-old woman was allegedly drinking wine from a drink bottle, before returning a positive breath test of 0.126. Her vehicle was impounded, and she will appear in court via summons.
- A tradie has his vehicle impounded after allegedly returning a positive breath test with a reading of 0.78. He will appear in court via summons.
- An unaccompanied learner driver allegedly returned a positive oral fluid test to cannabis; the results of which will undergo further analysis. His car was impounded, and he will be issued with a summons to appear in court at a later date.
The Southern Metro Division 4 Response Unit - with assistance from Somerville and Casey Highway Patrol units, the Road Policing Drug and Alcohol Section (RPDAS), Peninsula Link Command, the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator, Sheriffs, and SES - conducted this week's operation.
Quotes attributable to Southern Metro Division 4 Response Unit Detective Sergeant Stephen Boyle:
"What's even more concerning than the sheer volume of drivers caught with alcohol or drugs in their system, is the huge percentage that have a history of this type of offending.
"It is so frustrating that so people continue to roll the dice with not only their lives, but other motorists.
"The stats are undeniable - if you are substance affected, you are far more likely to be involved in a serious or fatal crash.
"Drugs and alcohol drastically reduce reaction times and lead to exceptionally poor decision making on the road.
"There are already enough dangers when driving without adding in drugs or alcohol to the mix.
"If you're going to drink or do drugs, do not get behind the wheel. It's that simple."
