Victoria Police are cracking down traditional increased holiday enforcement within the North East, with a boost to police patrol hours seen within the region.

Wangaratta Highway Patrol Senior Sergeant David Gillespie said an increase in police officers on the street and policing hours over the previous road safety operation on the Labour Day weekend will also be seen for Operation Nexus, a five-day road safety blitz throughout Easter.

Snr Sgt Gillespie said on the back of a deadly year within the Wangaratta Police Service Area and surrounds in 2025, the region has been a particular focus for Victoria Police’s 26 per cent statewide increase in patrol hours.

The Wangaratta PSA saw 17 lives lost on local roads last year.

The increased presence brought upon a 30pc year-on-year increase in the number of infringements statewide over last month’s operation.

Infringements included distracted driving, failure to obey road signs and failure to wear seatbelts.

“We need people to understand if they do the wrong thing they will be caught and they will be prosecuted,” Snr Sgt Gillespie said.

“Victoria Police are continually telling people do not use your mobile phone while driving, it is not acceptable and the risks are far too high.

“We continue to see people not wearing a seatbelt and it’s so easy to put on… do not drive if you haven’t got a seatbelt on.”

Snr Sgt Gillespie said police will be focused on major arterials heading to holiday hotspots and regional areas in the North East, with lives lost on regional roads accounting for more than half of this year’s fatalities.

“The increased risk-taking behaviour on regional roads increases the likelihood of collision and something going really bad,” he said.

“That’s what we see continually on our roads and in relation to intersections.

“People need to obey signs and be cognizant of the intersection they are approaching and if they are not aware of the local area because they are unfamiliar with it, drive to the conditions.

“When you look at the causation of a lot of these collisions in regional areas it’s poor choices by drivers that are completely avoidable, but they have catastrophic consequences.”

One in every 473 motorists tested for alcohol were caught over the limit during last month’s statewide operation, with increased breath testing and speed detections also prevalent this weekend.

“We will be using things like unmarked police vehicles and there will also be plainclothes police out there ensuring others are doing the right things on the road,” Snr Sgt Gillespie said.

“We want you to make you are enjoying your time in regional Victoria and we want you to get home safe.”

Operation Nexus will run from Thursday until 11:59pm on Monday, 6 April.