A major operation targeting maritime safety and heavy vehicles checked more than 540 vehicles and vessel in Portland last week as part of a joint effort between police and government agencies.
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During Operation Crossway more than 65 penalty notices were issued for a range of traffic and maritime offences.
Automatic number plate recognition technology, which scanned more than 12,500 vehicles during the three-day operation, also caught out 70 unlicensed drivers, 22 unregistered vehicles and 75 vehicles of interest to the Sheriff's office.
The major operation was to ensure heavy vehicle operators and associated companies were complying with road safety legislation, as well as ensuring the safety and security of the dock precinct was maintained through a range of cargo checks.
During the operation, 67 heavy vehicles checks were conducted with authorities looking for traffic, fatigue and compliance breaches. No trucks were taken off the road, however further checks of other vehicles found 68 were unroadworthy.
Despite police conducting 221 preliminary breath tests and 72 preliminary oral fluid drug tests, only one driver returned a positive roadside drug test.
Operation Crossway involved Victorian police from the Heavy Vehicle Unit, Operations Response Unit, Technology Enforcement Support Unit, Portland and Hamilton Highway Patrols and local Portland police, along with Australian Border Force, the Department of Home Affairs, Maritime Safety Victoria, Victorian Fisheries Authority and VicRoads..
Australian Border Force officers and detector dogs checked Maritime Security Identification Cards, assessed container security and integrity as well as conducting risk assessments of containers departing the waterfront.
Western Region Inspector Dave Reither said that they'd previously seen an increase in the number of lives lost due to collisions involving heavy vehicles.
Fatigue, speeding, illicit drug use and unroadworthy vehicles remain the biggest contributors to serious collisions involving heavy vehicles, and that behaviour can have fatal consequences.
- Dave Reither
"The Portland dock precinct is one of the main hubs in the west of the state for heavy vehicle activity and so it's only natural that this would be an area of focus for all the agencies involved in Operation Crossway," Mr Reither said.
"Fatigue, speeding, illicit drug use and unroadworthy vehicles remain the biggest contributors to serious collisions involving heavy vehicles, and that behaviour can have fatal consequences.
"This operation is not just about enforcement but also hopefully means that by highlighting the fact we are actively targeting this activity, it prevents some drivers and operators from taking these risks."
VicRoads Manager Transport Safety Services Metro Russell Greenland said its Transport Safety Services team worked closely with Victoria Police and Worksafe Victoria to monitor and improve the safety of all heavy vehicles.
"It is disappointing to see some drivers disregarding laws which are in place to keep everyone safe on our roads," Mr Greenland said.
"This is a warning to other fleet operators that if you don't keep your vehicles in a roadworthy condition and put the safety of the public at risk, we'll come after you and you'll face potentially very serious consequences."
Australian Border Force Victoria regional commander Craig Palmer said it played a critical role in protecting the waterfront environment from criminal infiltration and activity.
"The ABF operates in regional and remote areas across Australia, including an office in Portland, and we are dedicated to maintaining the integrity of our borders," Mr Palmer said.
During the multi-agency operation in Portland, it provided marine support with the use of the vessel 'The Phillip Island,' detector dog teams and trained officers.