Victoria Police announced Pakenham as the place with the highest number of drink drivers in the state, with 358 intercepted by police last financial year.
This is more than triple the amount recorded in the second-ranked suburb, Dandenong, which recorded 114 drug drivers.
While the exact number of drug drivers was not made available, Shepparton and Frankston had the equal third-highest numbers.
Eastern Region Division Three road policing adviser Acting Senior Sergeant Ted Graham said Shepparton featuring so high on the list was not necessarily a bad thing.
Instead, he said it was a reflection of a particular focus by local police on catching drink and drug drivers, and therefore testing more people.
Act Sen Sgt Graham said there were road 29 deaths in the whole of last year on Eastern Region Division 3 roads, which includes Greater Shepparton, Mitchell and Benalla police service areas.
This year, the numbers are half that amount, with 14 as of December 16.
These numbers do not include the four people who died in a minivan crash at Muckatah on Monday, December 15, as they fall under a different policing region.
At the same time last year, Shepparton police service area had recorded 10 fatalities.
This year, there had been four by December 16.
Act Sen Sgt Graham said the expectation for police in the region was that they would be out intercepting drivers more and testing them for both drugs and alcohol.
He urged motorists firstly not to take drugs, but if they did, to not drive afterwards.
“Maybe there is a misconception for people who jump behind the wheel that drugs are better than alcohol, but they are more dangerous,” Act Sen Sgt Graham said.
“You’re putting yourself at risk, and other people at risk.”
Act Sen Sgt Graham said the penalty for a motorist caught drug driving for the first time was a $611 fine and six months licence disqualification.
For repeat offenders, the licence loss doubles and their vehicle is impounded.
He spoke of some recent motorists who were caught by police.
They included a disqualified driver who tested positive to methamphetamines while taking two children to school, and another who was speeding and tested positive to drugs while taking children to school.
Yet another tested positive to drugs while taking children home from football, and another tested positive to alcohol and cannabis after being stopped by police for driving at 120km/h in a 100km/h zone.
“The concern is they are not thinking of the impacts on other people,” Act Sen Sgt Graham said.
“Road policing is everyone’s responsibility.
“Everyone that jumps in a car is responsible to make sure they’re safe and to get everyone to where they are going safely.”
Act Sen Sgt Graham said the halving of the road toll in Eastern Region Division 3 this year compared to last year was “not luck”.
“It’s an effort by us,” he said.
“The visibility thing is the key.
“If we are out there and we are seen, whether we are intercepting cars, or patrolling, hopefully people who see us will think about their behaviour.”
However, he also acknowledged that the message of doing the right thing while driving was also getting through to many.
With the police Christmas road safety operation, Operation Roadwise, starting on December 18 and running until January 1, Act Sen Sgt Graham said police would be out on the roads in numbers.
“We will light up the roads like a Christmas tree,” he said.
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