Victoria Police released the provisional results of offences detected during Operation Roadwise, which ran from December 14 to January 6. They say there are still too many drivers making unsafe decisions on our roads.

Among those were the 225 drivers in the Horsham policing area caught for speeding. 

The number of people caught drug-driving dropped slightly from 18 last year to 16. 

Wimmera Superintendent Paul Margetts said it was disappointing police were still detecting people driving under the influence of illicit substances and the risk they posed to themselves and others.

Nine people were caught drink-driving during the operation – an increase of 80 per cent. 

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Donald police also reported an “unusual” increase in speeding drivers during the Christmas period. 

There were also seven drivers charged for disobeying signs and signals, down from 11; six for seatbelt offences and five for mobile phone offences.

Police also nabbed four disqualified drivers and 17 cyclists for various offences including not wearing helmets and insufficient visibility. 

Statewide, police recorded 33,829 traffic offences. 

Road Policing Command Assistant Commissioner Stephen Leane said this represented high number of drivers still willing to pose a risk to themselves and to others.

“We know that speed is a major factor in about one third of fatal collisions, and we know that speed increases the chances of a collision and the severity of the outcome,” he said. 

“Yet over the 24 days of Roadwise, we detected 12,050 people speeding, thereby placing themselves and others on the roads in danger.”

The number of lives lost on Victorian roads in 2018 was a record low number of 214 – a reduction of 45 from 2017.