General News
16 May, 2025
Police disappointed by driver behaviour
POLICE have been left disappointed after a number of drivers were caught doing the wrong thing during Operation Optimus last week.
Operation Optimus ran across four days from last Tuesday, with a focus on heavy vehicle compliance, speed, impaired driving, distraction, mobile phone use and unauthorised drivers.
Corangamite Senior Sergeant Bill Caldow said the operation was an initiative of Camperdown Police Senior Constable Sam Alexander and involved uniformed members from Camperdown, Terang and Cobden as well as the Warrnambool and Colac highway patrol units.
“There were a number of facets to the operation, which included trucks,” he said.
“There were a lot of penalty notices issued over the period of the operation – there were a number of faults located with trucks, which was concerning, notwithstanding the drought and the financial considerations with that.
“It was some of the more professional operations, so that certainly would be subject to our ongoing attention.
“There were about 50 penalty notices issued – the full tally hasn’t been completed – and about seven or eight breaches that will be going to court for different things.
“There was a driver detected on the Great Ocean Road on Sunday doing 164 in an 80km/h zone, and that driver will be summonsed to appear in Warrnambool Court.”
Operation Optimus also targeted behaviours of concern, such as the number of people doing U-turns on the highway portion of Manifold Street.
Snr Sgt Caldow said action has been taken around U-turns, which he hopes will stop the behaviour.
“Overall, the level of offending was concerning and that will be subject to our ongoing attention,” he said.
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