Victoria Police Nab 835 Impaired Drivers in Road Safety Blitz

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Victoria Police have recorded 835 impaired driving offences across the Frankston and Mornington Peninsula regions during the 2024–25 financial year, with many involving repeat offenders.

Preliminary data shows 471 drivers tested positive for illicit drugs. Key enforcement zones included Peninsula Link and the Mornington Peninsula Freeway. Of those drug-affected drivers, 83 tested positive for more than one substance, and approximately 76% had methylamphetamine in their system. Police noted that more than 60% of those under the influence of methylamphetamine had previously committed similar offences.

Alcohol-related incidents also contributed significantly to the figures, with 364 drivers found over the legal blood alcohol concentration (BAC) limit. Around 19% of these cases involved drivers with BAC levels at least three times the legal limit. An additional 5% were found to be more than four times over.

Among the most serious cases:

• A 24-year-old man was charged after allegedly riding an e-bike under the influence of drugs and fatally striking a 69-year-old pedestrian in Hastings on 12 May.
  
• A 41-year-old man allegedly recorded a BAC of 0.430 after crashing into parked vehicles in Frankston on 1 February.
  
• A 42-year-old woman allegedly returned a BAC of 0.230 following a head-on collision in Dromana on 15 July. She received a 23-month driving disqualification.
  

Police continued targeted enforcement along Peninsula Link on Thursday, conducting 352 breath tests and 90 oral fluid tests over four hours. That operation led to:

• Three drink drivers detected
  
• One drug driver detected
  
• Two unlicensed drivers issued infringement notices
  
• Two suspended drivers identified
  
• Four vehicles impounded
  
• 5,000 number plates scanned via automatic number plate recognition
  
• Fifteen heavy vehicles inspected, resulting in three load restraint breaches and three defect notices
  
• One person arrested for alleged breaches of a family violence order
  

Other incidents reported by police included:

• An unlicensed P-plate driver allegedly consuming alcohol while driving, with a BAC of 0.230
  
• A 70-year-old woman allegedly drinking wine while driving, recording a BAC of 0.126
  
• A tradesperson who allegedly returned a BAC of 0.78
  
• An unaccompanied learner driver who tested positive for cannabis, pending confirmatory testing
  

The operation was led by the Southern Metro Division 4 Response Unit, with support from Somerville and Casey Highway Patrols, the Road Policing Drug and Alcohol Section, Peninsula Link Command, the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator, Sheriffs, and the SES.

Detective Sergeant Stephen Boyle emphasized the ongoing risk:
“The sheer number of repeat offenders is deeply concerning. People continue to gamble with their safety and that of others. The evidence is clear – being impaired significantly increases the likelihood of a serious or fatal crash.”