By KATH GANNAWAY
“JUST a little bit over … ” drivers should know the rest of that highly publicised ‘drink-drive’ slogan, but with 11 drivers detected over .05 in Yarra Ranges over the Australia Day weekend, police are saying there are still a lot of “bloody idiots” not getting the message.
Sergeant Simon Coverley from Yarra Ranges Highway Patrol said the operation was well publicised.
“We’re telling people that we’re going out there and you will be checked, but there are drivers who still think they can drink to excess and then drive cars,” he said.
“I think the message for a while there was getting through, but it appears from the figures we’re detecting, with people just over the limit with readings of .07, .08 and .09, it’s starting to slip back.”
He said that often the excuse people gave is that they didn’t think they were over the limit, and that they were fine to drive.
“If there’s a chance you might be over, or just over, just don’t drive,” he said.
Driving over the speed limit was another area of concern with 110 speeding offences detected.
Sgt Coverley said it was another disappointing figure with speed, along with drink driving the biggest killers on the road, and the message, again, well publicised.
Other offences included 40 unregistered vehicles, eight unlicensed drivers, four disqualified or suspended drivers, four mobile phone users, three people disobeying signs or signals and two seatbelt offences.
