POLICE have slammed the actions of a drug-driver and several other unlicensed motorists picked up on Sunday.
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Their flouting of the law was detected during a special operation in Wangaratta.
Sgt Michael Connors, of the Wangaratta Highway Patrol, said the drug-driver’s actions were of particular concern.
“These people who drug-drive are a danger to themselves and other road users,” he said.
More than 2500 drivers were checked using number plate recognition technology.
Police also briefly set-up in Myrtleford on Saturday.
Wet weather over the weekend forced officers to cancel a planned freeway crackdown near Glenrowan.
One driver was found to have broken the law by not having an alcohol interlock fitted to his car.
Another was detected for a suspended licence, two for unlicensed driving and three for driving unregistered vehicles.
The remaining six offences related to using mobile phones while driving, to not wearing seat belts and having obsured number plates.
Four were picked up at Myrtleford.
“I wouldn’t like to say it was a good result because we’ve detected a drug-driver,” Sgt Connors said.
“That’s not good.
“But the numbers are low, which is pleasing.”
Sgt Connors said the whole point of the number plate recognition was to detect those people “who have no right to be on the road but still do so”.
“Every vehicle gets scanned and most times people don’t even know they’ve gone through the site,” he said.
Sgt Connors said the weekend’s results made it clear why there was such as need for the campaigns, for which police gave no prior warning.
“It it does show there are people our there flaunting the laws,” he said.
“They know they shouldn’t be on the road and they know their vehicle is unregistered.
“And yet they still choose to drive.”