More than 6500 traffic offences were detected by Victoria Police during the statewide Operation Scoreboard over the AFL Grand Final long weekend.
The four-day road policing blitz, which focused on roadside alcohol and drug testing, saw a rise of almost 1500 offences against the same operation last year as police looked to clamp down on high-risk driving behaviour.
One in every 491 drivers who were breath tested were caught over the legal blood alcohol limit, with 246 drink driving offences detected from 120,995 preliminary breath tests. This was a rise of 28 per cent compared with last year.
A further 127 drug driving offences were detected from 3136 roadside drug tests – a strike rate of one in every 24 drivers testing positive to drugs.
From the same operation in 2025, speeding offences (up 34%) and mobile phone contraventions (up 170%) dominate the other notable takeaway statistics from the long weekend.
With the second week of school holidays underway in Victoria, police are urging motorists to remain vigilant behind the wheel by sticking to speed limits, taking plenty of breaks on long trips and avoiding distractions like using mobile phones while driving.
The total 6558 offences detected during Operation Scoreboard included:
- 2918 speeding offences
- 607 unregistered vehicles
- 253 disqualified/suspended drivers
- 188 unlicenced drivers
- 365 disobey signs/signals
- 246 drink driving offences from 120,995 preliminary breath tests
- 248 mobile phone offences
- 127 drug driving offences from 3136 roadside drug tests
- 102 vehicle impoundments; and
- 89 seatbelt offences
Police will continue to conduct local road policing enforcement in high-risk areas, particularly on major highways to regional areas and around holiday hotspots.
Operation Scoreboard ran from 12:01am Friday 25 September to 11:59pm on Monday 28 September.
For more information and tips for staying safe on the roads, visit the Road Safety page on the Victoria Police website.
Quotes attributable to Road Policing Assistant Commissioner, Mick Hermans:
“It was a busy weekend on our roads and while many Victorians were enjoying the long weekend, school holidays and a Grand Final epic, we were saddened by the tragic loss of life on our roads.
“With this firmly etched in our minds, Victoria Police continue to prioritise road policing enforcement and doing all we can to prevent further trauma on our roads this year.
“Our members detected over 6500 offences in four days during Operation Scoreboard.
“We had a major focus on drink and drug drivers this weekend, and concerningly, despite our warnings to motorists, we have again seen incredibly high strike rates for those caught over the legal limit for alcohol and drugs.
“It was also concerning to detect so many irresponsible motorists risking people’s lives by speeding or using their mobile phone at the wheel. The rules apply to everyone, and we absolutely will not tolerate such careless behaviour from those who think otherwise.
“If you think you can drive irresponsibly – including drinking or taking drugs and driving – think again. As the weather improves and we head towards the end of the year, our fleet of alcohol and drug testing vehicles will be out conducting testing anywhere, anytime, and at every opportunity.”
