MOTORISTS travelling through Bass Coast and South Gippsland this holiday period can expect to see a stronger police presence on local roads, as Highway Patrol and general duties officers gear up for Operation Compass. 

The statewide initiative, which runs from Thursday, April 17 to Saturday, April 27, coincides with the busy Easter and ANZAC long weekends – a time when road use traditionally spikes. 

Sergeant Peter Pearce – Bass Coast Highway Patrol, said Operation Compass aims to reduce road trauma by focusing on key driving behaviours such as speeding, impaired driving, mobile phone use, fatigue, seatbelt compliance, and unauthorised driving.

“There’ll be an increased presence and visibility,” Sgt Pearce said. 

“Expect to be pulled over for drug and alcohol testing at our random testing sites, and if you’re planning a long journey, plan ahead. You don’t want to add trauma into that holiday period because of something going wrong.” 

Operation Compass is supported by the Transport Accident Commission (TAC), which funds additional shifts to boost police patrol hours. “Members rostered on during this period are working on top of their normal shifts,” Sgt Pearce explained. 

“That allows us to have more police on the roads, increasing our ability to test and be visible.”

The upcoming operation follows several other ongoing operations across the Bass Coast and South Gippsland areas. These include the following:

Operation Expeditiously – targeting speeding on rural roads. Running from Friday, March 29 to Friday, June 21, this operation has already seen 41 infringements detected across just three deployments. Seven of those drivers lost their licences for exceeding the speed limit by more than 25km/h.

Operation Outpost – targeting impaired drivers under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Launched on Wednesday, February 28, the operation will be ongoing.

Random Booze Bus Operations – mobile testing units supported by police vehicles are regularly deployed from Melbourne to test local drivers for drugs and alcohol.

“These operations are in addition to our daily patrols,” Sgt Pearce said.

“Marked cars and motorbikes are constantly operating on our highways.”

Sgt Pearce noted a significant shift in local enforcement of drug driving offences. 

“There used to be a perception in Bass Coast and South Gippsland that you wouldn’t be tested for drugs. That’s no longer the case,” he said. 

“General duties officers are now trained and approved to conduct oral fluid drug tests. Previously, this was exclusively the job of highway patrol, but now this has been expanded. Every police car now has the capacity to test.”

This expansion of testing aims to deter risky behaviour and improve safety across all road types. 

“Of all drivers killed in Victoria, half die on rural roads,” Sgt Pearce said. “That’s why it’s vital we’re seen and visible on those roads.”

While speeding and impaired driving remain central focuses, Sgt Pearce said fatigue and distraction – particularly mobile phone use – are just as dangerous.

“If you’ve been awake for 17 hours, your risk of crashing is the same as someone over the legal alcohol limit of 0.05,” he said. 

“You’re seven times more likely to be involved in a crash. Take a break every two hours and, if possible, share the driving.” 

He added that distraction caused by mobile phones continues to be one of the most dangerous behaviours on rural roads. 

“We deal with constantly changing weather, road surfaces, and other variables, but distraction from devices is constant and always present. If you need to use your phone, pull over.” 

While enforcement is a key element of these operations, visibility and deterrence are just as important. 

“We recently received feedback from a community member thanking us for our increased presence on the Bass Highway,” Sgt Pearce said. “Nobody likes getting fined, but I think most people would rather get pulled over than be involved in a crash.”

He said the goal is to make roads safer for everyone. “We all want to be surrounded by other safe drivers. These are the roads we share with our friends, families, and strangers – your safety and your life depend on others doing the right thing too.”

Sgt Pearce’s final message for the public is clear: 

“Plan ahead and drive to the conditions. If you’re going out with the opportunity to have alcohol, then have a way to get home that is both safe and within the rules, and drive to the conditions and the speed limit. If you can do those things, then you will have a safe trip.”