VICTORIA Police officers from across the region, and joined by the helicopters recently carried out Operation Early Bird targeting early arrivals to the snow fields.

Officers for the operation, which commenced at 6am each day, came from Mansfield Highway Patrol, Benalla Highway Patrol and the Victoria Police Air Wing.

Mansfield Highway Patrol’s Sergeant Marty McLachlan said although traffic was not as heavy as expected the operation went well.

The two day operation involved detecting speed from a helicopter which measured time/distance over pre-measured 500 metres of road markings on Mt Buller Road at Merrijig.

The operation included ground crew for intercepts of helicopter detections, ground units also conducting laser/radar detection within the 80kmg zone.

Sgt McLachlan said this was the first time such an operation could be held over since the end of COVID-19 restrictions.

The first day of the operation was partially rain affected with reduced visibility and was finished early.

On the second day the Highway Patrol units were re-tasked to a fatal collision during the last two hours of the operation.

However, despite these hold ups officers carried out 36 PBTS, five drug tests, checked 42 vehicles with the same number of people being checked.

Two defect notices were issued on vehicles checked.

Detected also were 35 speeding offences, three other traffic offences and one car was impounded.

The drive of the impounded car was found to be unlicensed and failed to show ‘Learner’ plates as well as being detected speeding at 49km over the speed limit – travelling at 129km/h in a 80km/h zone at Merrijig.

Highway Patrol and general duties police will continue to check snow traffic until the end of the season in October.