Police will be dispelling some of the most common myths about speeding as they engage with drivers over the Anzac Day unofficial long weekend.
The effort comes as police launched Operation Tribute, which runs until Sunday.
With Anzac Day falling on a Thursday, and Friday a rostered day off for the industrial sector, police expect traffic volumes akin to a traditional long weekend.
The myth-busting effort will see police statewide hand out 40,000 fact cards countering five of the most common misconceptions about low-level speeding.
These include why going a little over the speed limit is a risk and why small speed increases make a crash more likely.
Police hope the engagement will reinforce the importance of motorists slowing down and taking responsibility for their actions to reduce road trauma.
Enforcement will remain a focus, with police targeting speeding, as well as distracted and impaired drivers.
While the number of lives lost on Victoria’s roads is slightly down on last year, police are concerned at current levels of road trauma, especially fatalities involving vulnerable road users.
Both motorcyclist and pedestrian fatalities statewide are higher than at the same time last year.
There have been 22 motorcyclist fatalities compared with 16 at the same time last year, making up almost a quarter of this year’s lives lost.
There have been 12 pedestrian fatalities, double the figure at the same time last year.
Police are urging road users to take extra care and be on the lookout for vulnerable road users, particularly around Anzac Day dawn services where there will be many pedestrians moving around in little to no light.
Road policing Assistant Commissioner Glenn Weir said people often associated high-range speeding and reckless driving with fatal and serious-injury collisions.
“But the reality is low-range speeding and basic driving errors, even if due to a lapse in concentration, can be just as devastating,” he said.
“There are many misconceptions and myths around speeding or just going that little bit over the speed limit.”
Asst Comm Weir said police saw the fact cards as an opportunity to engage with motorists proactively and discuss how their speed could lead to trauma.
“We’d always prefer to educate motorists so they can make smarter and safer decisions behind the wheel, but we also won’t hesitate to enforce when road rules are being ignored,” he said.
“Anzac Day is a high-risk period on our roads, so we ask people to take care and look out for one another — particularly around the dawn services and commemorative events taking place.”
Operation Tribute runs until 11.59pm on Sunday, April 28.