Police Crackdown in Altona Nets 63 Drink Drivers, Warns of Zero Tolerance for Impaired Driving
Over the weekend, a road policing crackdown in Altona resulted in 63 people being caught for drink driving and 5 for driving under the influence of drugs. The operation, named Leviathan, was conducted by officers targeting impaired drivers on the Princes Freeway. A total of 3648 vehicles were stopped for testing on Friday and Saturday night.
According to police, almost one in 60 drivers tested were found to have excessive alcohol in their system. As a result, 19 vehicles were impounded and 63 drivers had their licenses immediately suspended for 12 months. One driver, a 32-year-old man from Point Cook, had a blood alcohol reading of .164 and will be summoned to court at a later date.
In a separate incident, a 28-year-old man from Ardeer rolled his car while attempting to evade police in Altona Meadows. He was taken to the hospital and will be processed at a later date.
Victoria Police has issued a warning to all motorists, stating that there will be zero tolerance for drink and drug driving. Those caught disregarding the rules will face significant penalties. For first-time offenders who are fully licensed and over 26 years old, the penalties include a $577 fine and an immediate three-month license suspension for a blood alcohol limit between .05 and .07. The penalties are even more severe for those under 26 years old, those required to have a zero blood or breath alcohol level, and those caught for second or subsequent drink driving offences. These penalties can include larger fines, longer license suspensions, alcohol interlocks, and even jail time for the most serious offences.
Operation Leviathan was carried out by members of the Westgate Highway Patrol, with support from uniform police and the Road Policing Drug and Alcohol Section. Victoria Police is urging all drivers to follow the rules and avoid driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
