An Australia Day police operation with a focus on unauthorised drivers has resulted in nearly 70 fines being handed out in Ballarat.
Operation Amity, with the help of hi-tech number plate recognition equipment ANPR, nabbed 18 prohibited road users ranging from out of date rego to disqualification.
All up 64 offences were recorded in the Ballarat Service Area during the 5 day operation, with speeding drivers making up nearly half of those results.
Some drivers showing a flagrant disregard for being under the influence were taken off the streets.
A man driving on Howitt Street on Friday, pulled over when spotted using his phone, blew a reading of .177, while on the same night a woman pulled up by Ballarat Police blew a frightening .296.
Ballarat Senior Sergeant Paul Maslunka was gobsmacked by the offence.
“.296 – that’s a ridiculously high reading. It’s nearly 6 times the legal limit. She’ll face court at a later time.”
One driver was also found to be putting a young child at risk.
A 74 year old man, with a child in the car, nabbed at more than 30 kays over the limit on Geelong Road at Mt Helen.
Senior Sergeant Paul Maslunka says he even had the audacity to ask for a warning.
“He was spoken to by police. The driver demonstrated that whilst good judgement wasn’t his strong suit, he didn’t seem to lack any confidence when asking for a warning becaus of his good driving history.”
Maslunka said the community would have been just as outraged as he was if the driver had been given leniency.
The official Operation Amity offences in the Ballarat Service Areas are as follows:
4 drink drivers
1 drug drivers
6 disqualified drivers
1 unlicensed drivers
31 speeding offences
7 disobey signs/signals
2 seatbelt offences
1 mobile phone offences
8 unregistered vehicles
3 impoundments
0 cyclist offences
