By NATALIE GALLENTI
MELTON Police have impounded 124 vehicles so far this year and it is likely the number will rise in the coming weeks.
The figure is higher than in previous years according to police, with motorists continuing to drive with suspended and disqualified licences, and ignore speed limits.
In another alarming week on the area’s roads three cars were impounded. Two incidents involved motorists driving with a suspended licence while the other involved a speeding motorist driving 58km over the limit.
This latest data comes only two months after Star reported on a shocking spate of impoundments in the municipality, with six cars seized in six days and recidivist offenders continuing to put other motorists’ lives at risk.
Melton Leading Senior Constable Allan Edwards said this years’ figure was higher than recent years, but may be due to the inclusion of new offences that allow cars to be impounded.
Leading Sen Const Edwards said the number included a very high proportion of disqualified and suspended drivers.
He told Star this was an issue across Melbourne’s West.
“The people that do these things don’t care about the rules. They’re speeding and driving intoxicated,” Leading Sen Const Edwards said.
He said police would be continuing with Operation RAID, which has seen 3250 preliminary breath tests performed across Melton since it was launched in mid-November, until the end of January. The operation was introduced in a bid to get impaired drivers off the road.
Leading Sen Const Edwards said the festive season was a particularly busy time for the traffic unit and urged drivers to act responsibly after leaving Christmas parties.
“A taxi looks very, very cheap when you’re looking at an infringement notice of $500 to $600…and possibly losing your licence and maybe your job.”
