Senior Sergeant Martin Flannery said statewide Operation Saturn was being run over the next 18 days to cover the AFL grand final public holiday and the extra-long weekend involving the Melbourne Cup.

He said in the south-west there would be a focus on vulnerable roads users, in particular cyclists and pedestrians.

The highway patrol boss said serious injury accidents involving cyclists were currently up almost 10 per cent.

Senior Sergeant Flannery requested all drivers be vigilant around cyclists and pedestrians.

"We all need to do more," he said.

"We need to keep an eye out and show cyclists respect, because they do have a right to be on the roads.

"Collisions involving vehicles and cyclists almost always involve broken bones."

Early last year The Standard reported there had been been eight serious accidents in the south-west involving cyclists, including the deaths of three riders.

Senior Sergeant Flannery said pedestrians were equally at risk.

He said a 13-year-old Koroit district student suffered a fractured leg and shoulder after getting off a school bus last Friday afternoon.

The student was struck by a car while crossing the road to go home.

"Witnesses state the driver had slowed considerably for the stopped school bus, but was unable to avoid the child crossing the road," he said.

"While upsetting to see the injuries suffered, the sound decision by the driver to slow down potentially helped avoid catastrophic results."

The traffic policing chief said many drivers had spent time off the roads during the past six months due to coronavirus restrictions and it was now appropriate to take extra care.

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He said a driver caught mid-afternoon this week with an alcohol reading of .242, almost five times the legal limit, showed people were still prepared to do the wrong thing.

"That's a pretty disturbing reading," he said. "We also thank those members of the public who made reports to police that led to getting this individual off the roads."

Operation Saturn is focusing on speeding as well as the other four main causes of road trauma - failing to wear seat belts, impaired driving, distraction and fatigue.

"There will be an increase in traffic volumes during the long weekends and we ask drivers not to get frustrated. We want everyone to get home safely," he said.

"We've got extra police members, who have made themselves available to be on the roads during the operation, instead of spending time with their families.

"It's a much bigger crew than normal, expect to see police cars patrolling and I'll even be doing some patrolling myself."

Statewide, it's been a shattering week with eight lives lost.

With COVID-19 restrictions easing and two upcoming long weekends, Victoria Police are urging the community to drive safely as Operation Saturn starts midnight Thursday and runs through until Sunday, November 8.

Road Policing Command Assistant Commissioner Libby Murphy said Victorians were facing two different but equally dangerous settings on metro and regional roads.

"We expect that road trauma will increase as more people get back on our roads. It is devastating to me that in the last week eight people have already fallen victim to this," she said.

"Operation Saturn comes at a critical time for the Victorian community, with easing of some restrictions coinciding with two long weekends.

"We're urging everyone to go back to basics. That means buckling up, slowing down, and not driving while impaired."

During the operation police will be conducting both PBTs and drug tests and those testing sites will be set up locations where the booze buses aren't usually spotted.

"I want to make it clear that Victoria Police is still conducting PBTs and drug tests," Ms Murphy said.

"We know that the number of drink and drug drivers typically increases on grand final weekend and during the Melbourne Cup Carnival.

"We also know that alcohol consumption has increased during the coronavirus pandemic and are concerned about the impact this will have."

"We know regional motorists and their passengers are over-represented in serious collisions.

"Despite making up less than a third of the state's population, more than half of lives lost on Victoria's roads are in regional areas.

"We have worked so hard to get to this position and now need to protect each other on the road."

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