Police will be reaching for their laser guns today as new figures reveal speed has contributed to more than 30 road deaths this year.
It compares with 23 at the same time last year.
The operation - which will see police target roadways across the state - coincides with National Road Safety Week.
The annual initiative includes daily themes to highlight the impacts of road trauma and the importance of safe driving habits.
Today's nationwide focus is speed.
In Victoria, motorists can expect to see Highway Patrol units, Public Order Response Team officers and general duties police saturating freeways, highways and roads.
Police will be using handheld speed measurement guns to detect and deter speeding motorists.
They will also be checking cars while driving, using automatic radar technology to measure the speed of passing cars.
Each year about 1200 people are killed and another 40,000 seriously injured on Australia's roads.
Almost a quarter of all fatal collisions occur in Victoria with 284 lives lost in 2024.
Speed was a contributing factor in at least 45 of these deaths.
And provisional data for this year indicates it has contributed to 31 deaths.
Speeding is also the most common form of non-compliance among motorists.
With reduced visibility and inclement weather over the coming months, police are urging road users to slow down.
Motorists can reduce the risk of a crash by 15 per cent by wiping off just 5km/h.
Police will continue to enforce speed with a number of operations planned during high-risk periods in addition to an 'anywhere, anytime' deterrent approach.
National Road Safety Week was created by Peter Frazer of the Safer Australian Roads and Highways group after his 23-year-old daughter, and another man, were killed in a car crash in February 2012.
It will run from Sunday 11 May to Sunday 18 May 2025.
Victoria Police encourages all road users to show their support for the initiative, which calls on motorists to "pledge to drive so others survive".
For more information about National Road Safety Week go to roadsafetyweek.com.au.
Quotes attributable to Road Policing Assistant Commissioner Glenn Weir APM:
"Today we will have an increased focus on speed right across the state.
"Motorists can expect to see police with their speed guns out on highways, freeways and roads.
"If a police car passes you on a highway today, your speed will likely be checked.
"This highly visible presence is not only about detecting speedsters but also deterring others from making the same mistake.
"Every year we see the devastating impacts of speeding.
"From those whose lives are lost to their family members, partners, friends, work colleagues and emergency services who attend the scene - it ends up being many thousands of lives impacted by speeding behaviours.
"It's not worth risking your life to get to a destination faster.
"National Road Safety Week is a timely reminder that road safety remains everyone's responsibility.
"Today and every day we ask road users to slow down and travel at the speed limit - it's that simple.
"Everyone has a role to play in reducing trauma on our roads."
