The incident further frustrated the police officer who had just a day earlier had intercepted a motorist travelling 137km/h on a wet road with a three-year-old child in the car.

Leading Senior Constable Mark McLean, of Dartmoor police, said 178km/h was the fastest speed he’d recorded on his mobile radar during his 32 years in the police force, six of them spent working in highway patrol.

“You don’t survive an accident at that speed,” Leading Senior Constable McLean said.

“It’s frustrating.

“It just leaves you gobsmacked.

“We’ve lost 10 lives on Victoria’s roads so far this year and then we have people going out and want to add to that statistic.”

The Melbourne man who was caught doing 137km/h in a 100 km/h zone on the Princes Highway on Friday near Drumborg will lose his licence for six months, and was issued with a $595 penalty notice.

“It was on a wet road with a small child in the car,” he said.

“It’s just irresponsible. 

“They’ve got precious cargo on board, you’ve got look after them.

“If I’m not frustrated enough, I get a learner motorcyclist doing 178km/h in a 100 km/h zone.”

Leading Senior Constable McLean said the motorcyclist was speeding on a road where he had to attend the scene of a fatal motorcycle accident several years ago.

“You almost think you’ve averted a fatality,” he said.

“I don’t know what goes through their head.”

A 20-year-old Portland man will have to front court to face charges of travelling at dangerous speeds. 

His motorcycle will be impounded.

The motorcyclist was clocked at 5.45pm on the Winnap-Drik Drik Road near Winnap on Saturday.

“Once again it was on a wet road and it was blowing a gale,” Leading Senior Constable McLean said.

“My 4WD was being buffeted by the wind and he was on a motorcycle.”

“It was really windy, we were getting some strong gusts.”

Wind gusts of up to 60km/h were recorded in the area during Saturday afternoon.