Police detected 26 drink drivers in a two-day major road policing operation on Melbourne's Eastern Freeway this weekend.
Operation Chorus, which was conducted over Friday and Saturday night specifically targeted impaired driving on the Eastern Freeway, between Bulleen and Doncaster roads.
Across the two days, 2026 preliminary breath tests were recorded with 26 drivers found to be in excess of the legal alcohol limit.
Of the 26 motorists caught drink driving one driver returned a blood alcohol reading (BAC) of .152 and another of .118.
A 24-year-old woman from Ringwood East who had a BAC of .152 had her licence cancelled and will be summonsed to appear at court at a later date.
Her car was also impounded.
A 32-year-old man from Doncaster who had a BAC of .118 received a $817 fine and his licence was cancelled for 11 months.
His car was also impounded.
An additional two drivers were detected driving whilst under the influence of drugs.
Police also impounded eight vehicles and detected one driver whose licence was disqualified, an unaccompanied learner and another person who had a cancelled licence.
A further five vehicles failed to stop at the RBT and investigations into those vehicles are ongoing.
In the lead up to the holiday season Victoria Police is warning motorists there will be 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 .05 and .07 receive a $577 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 .07 or above - including larger fines, longer licence suspensions, alcohol interlocks, attendance at court and even jail time for the most serious offences.
Operation Chorus was conducted by Eastern Region Highway Patrol, with support from uniform members, State Highway Patrol and Road Policing Drug and Alcohol Section.
For more information and tips for staying safe on the roads during the festive period, visit the Road Safety page on the Victoria Police website.
Quotes attributable to Eastern Region Acting Superintendent Stephen Cooper:
"It's extremely concerning to see the rate of impaired divers that we intercepted, especially considering November saw the highest number of deaths on our roads in a single month this year.
"As the festive season is upon us, remember choosing to drink and drive, or take drugs and drive could have catastrophic consequences.
"We'll continue to be out conducting alcohol and drug testing at every opportunity, so know if you are impaired behind the wheel we could be just around the corner".
