Police are urging motorists to prepare for a busy period on Victorian roads as a statewide road policing operation effort kicks off for the Australia Day long weekend.
Operation Amity, which commences on Friday, will see police highly visible and enforcing on major roads and highways across the state, in an effort to reduce road trauma.
With schools set to return next week, police are warning all road users to prepare for an influx of traffic as many Victorians hit the road for the last long weekend of the January holiday period.
Speeding drivers will be a major focus for police during the operation, with excessive or inappropriate speed the highest contributing factor in fatal collisions in 2025, contributing to at least 30 per cent of fatalities.
Police detected 6,820 speeding offences during recent a 15-day road policing operation over the Christmas and New Year period, with three-quarters of those caught travelling between 10km/h and 25km/h over the speed limit.
With roads expected to be busy, police are urging motorists to avoid rushing by allowing plenty of extra travel time, and to be patient and courteous to other road users.
There will also be zero tolerance for drink and drug driving, with police saying motorists should expect to be tested anywhere, anytime at alcohol and drug testing sites operating across the state over the weekend.
During the recent Operation Roadwise, police conducted 328,164 preliminary breath tests and 9,035 roadside drug tests, with 659 drink drivers and 434 drug drivers detected over 15 days.
January was the worst month on Victorian roads in 2025, recording 36 fatalities in 31 days – the highest for the month in over 10 years.
While there has been less trauma so far in 2026, with 12 lives lost on Victorian roads, police say this should not be cause for complacency.
Operation Amity will run statewide from 12:01am Friday 23 January to 11:59pm Monday 26 January.
Road Policing Assistant Commissioner, Glenn Weir said Operation Amity coincides with a particularly busy period on the roads, marking the final weekend of the January holiday period for many motorists before the return to school and work next week.
“We’ll be focusing on the major roads and highways between Melbourne and the regional parts of the state where we know lots of people will be commuting,” he said.
“With the expected hot weather, there will be a particular enforcement focus on roads to and from coastal areas and waterways, and we just encourage people to be safe and manage fatigue after spending time outside in the heat.
“It’s going to be busy, so take it easy, be courteous to other road users, and most importantly, allow extra travel time so you aren’t speeding to reach your destination.
“Not only is speeding the most common factor in fatal and serious injury collisions, but it continues to be the penalty we issue the most infringements for – and it’s completely avoidable.
“We won’t hesitate to penalise you if you’re caught breaking the road rules this weekend, but being caught by police is a far better outcome than being killed or seriously injured on the roads.
“Ultimately, motorists can avoid these consequences by making good choices behind the wheel and prioritising safety.”
