Wimmera Highway Patrol units are making a concerted effort to apprehend speeding drivers who use smaller roads to avoid police or Western Highway traffic.
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Outgoing Ararat Leading Senior Constable Mark Stevens said they issued the majority of speeding penalty notices on "lesser" roads.
"There are no roads in our division where we don't get people speeding," he said. "We don't target specific roads but try to cover the whole thing.
"The main collision areas such as the Wimmera and Henty highways, Stawell-Warracknabeal Road, and we also get up around the Silo Art Trail roads. Motorists often say 'What are you doing out here?', and the answer is apprehending drivers who are using those roads because they plan to break the law.
"A high percentage of the people we book are not locals. People who live in the division are generally pretty well-behaved, so it's people who don't know the roads not driving to the conditions.
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"Banyena Road is a big one, especially for interstate drivers, because their GPS brings them across there if they're travelling to the snowfields.
Leading Senior Constable Stevens said police also targeted Carngham-Streatham Road, Mortlake-Ararat Road and Grampians Road between Dunkeld and Stawell.
He also had messages for VicRoads and drivers from beyond the region for when there were diversions on the Western Highway.
On Thursday, motorists were sent down the Henty Highway and Blue Ribbon Road at Kalkee after a fatal collision between a truck and bus near Pimpinio.
"We tell VicRoads the location of crashes and they set the diversions," he said.
"If they are going to use those roads they have to be suitable to take increased traffic. Things like upgrading gravel shoulders, lane-widening and improved centre lines. People should also be thinking this is not a main road and drive to the conditions."
Horsham Highway Patrol Acting Sergeant Heath Martin agreed there were no hot spots in particular for speeding, and that interstate drivers were common culprits.
"Blue Ribbon Road is one of many we focus on, given the increased traffic with the Murra Warra wind farm in the area," he said.
"The most common excuse we get (for speeding) is the Dukes Highway in South Australia and the Western Freeway are both 110, so motorists think it is the same on the Western Highway."
Northern Grampians Highway Patrol covers roads in the Ararat, Northern Grampains and Yarriambiack areas, while the Horsham unit covers the Horsham, West Wimmera and Hindmarsh municipalities.
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Alexander Darling
Alexander has been a member of the Wimmera Mail-Times' editorial team since December 2018, covering politics, business and property among other rounds. He is a passionate St.Kilda and rock and roll fan, and has previously worked as a radio reporter in Port Macquarie and Gosford, NSW.
Alexander has been a member of the Wimmera Mail-Times' editorial team since December 2018, covering politics, business and property among other rounds. He is a passionate St.Kilda and rock and roll fan, and has previously worked as a radio reporter in Port Macquarie and Gosford, NSW.
