Tis the season to be Roadwise

Police are pleading with motorists to prioritise road safety over the Christmas and New Year period as Operation Roadwise gets underway

The statewide road policing operation will run for an extended 20-day period and will see police highly visible across the state's major roads and arterials.

There will be a significant focus on impaired driving with police conducting widespread alcohol and drug testing every day throughout the operation.

Police conducted more than 300,000 preliminary breath tests and almost 9000 roadside drug tests during last year's Operation Roadwise.

Data shows December is the worst month of the year for drink drive offending, recording the highest number of drink driving detections and most collisions where the driver was over the blood alcohol limit.

"As we head towards the end of the year, we're urging everyone to make road safety a priority," said Road Policing Assistant Commissioner, Glenn Weir.

"The last place you want to end up this Christmas is in a hospital, or worse, as a result of road trauma."

Plan ahead

Motorists are being warned they should expect to be tested anywhere, any time and to separate drinking and driving by planning ahead, arranging a designated driver or using alternative transport.

Operation Roadwise will see police highly visible on roads around coastal areas and popular holiday hotspots across regional Victoria, including Phillip Island.

"There will be a significant focus on impaired drivers so motorists should expect to be tested anywhere, any time and be prepared to face the consequences if you're caught over the limit," said Assistant Commissioner Weir.

"It's been another devastating year on our roads, and we make no apologies for doing all we can to prevent further serious injuries and deaths."

With Boxing Day one of the busiest days for travel across the state, police are urging those hitting the roads to be patient, avoid distractions and take regular breaks to prevent fatigue.

To avoid receiving an infringement and having a costly Christmas, motorists are advised to obey the road rules and stick to the speed limits.

Police issued more than 19,000 traffic infringements during last year's Operation Roadwise including 7631 speeding offences.

Lives lost

There were 17 lives lost on Victorian roads last year between December 15 and January 1.

There have been 273 lives lost on Victoria roads to date, which is slightly below 276 at the same time last year.

Operation Roadwise is currently in force and concludes at 11.59pm on Wednesday January 1.

For more information and tips for staying safe on the roads during the festive period visit the Road Safety page on the Victoria Police website: www.police.vic.gov.au/tis-season-be-roadwise