Police attempt to head off Western Hwy speedsters

IT seems the latest weapon in the war on speeding motorists doesn't have a head for the job, literally.A cardboard cut-out of a motorcycle policeman on the Western Highway near Ballan was decapitated in the line of duty yesterday.The initiative is the part of the Transport Accident Commission's Christmas enforcement campaign.The life-sized cardboard version of a motorcycle policeman is positioned in the centre median strip of the Western Highway, facing Ballarat-bound traffic.While many motorists have been fooled by the "police officer" and slowed down, someone took exception to being duped and beheaded him. However, a replacement cardboard cop won't be far away.TAC spokeswoman Amanda Bavin said the Ballan cop was one of nine dotted along major freeways and highways around Victoria as part of the Christmas enforcement program. She said the "motorcycle cops" were so realistic that many motorists were slowing down before passing. "Anecdotally, the cardboard cut-outs seem to be working," she said.