This slight shift in focus, called Fresh Start, came into effect from midnight Wednesday and will remain in place until Wednesday, January 6.

Ballarat Highway Patrol's Senior Sergeant Stuart Gale said the focus was to keep everyone safe on the roads from speed, distraction and fatigue. Drug and alcohol testing for any drivers intercepted will be done in a COVID-safe manner.

Provisional Victoria Police figures show there were 213 lives lost on Victoria roads last year. This is down from 265 lives lost in 2019 but with large portions of 2020 spent in lockdowns.

There were 11 lives lost on roads in the wider Ballarat region the past year, taking in the City of Ballarat and Golden Plains, Hepburn, Moorabool and Pyrenees Shires.

This includes four lives lost in the Hepburn Shire.

The Courier has previously reported a spike in road death and trauma, particularly on high-speed roads, after Victorian lockdowns eased.

Senior Sergeant Gale said roads had been, as expected, particularly busy this festive season after lengthy lockdowns the past year and so many people travelling within the state for holidays, particularly with late-changing border closures.

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"So far driver behaviour has been good on the road," Senior Sergeant Gale said. "We've been very pleased with how drivers have been behaving overall and I expect that to continue as we head into the new phase of Operation Roadwise. I just remind drivers to take regular breaks, share the driving and take plenty of time to get to their destination."

This comes after police nabbed a probationary driver doing more than double the speed limit along major road works this festive season.

Ballarat Highway Patrol's Senior Sergeant Stuart Gale said this was a stark reminder for people to obey road work signs - even when there were no road workers on site - and to be careful in all conditions.

The male P-plater was detected doing 119 kilometres in a temporary 60kmh zone along the Midland Highway where road works run from Buninyong to Elaine.

Senior Sergeant Gale said the man's car had been impounded and he would have to face court for speeding.

"Those road work signs are very important and need to be obeyed at all times," Senior Sergeant Gale said. "There are a lot more road works about the place because a lot started late after the weather we had in August and September."

Driver distraction warnings, which have also been a focus this holidays, include phone use, conversations in the car and children fighting in the back seat.

A cyclist in his 50s died after he was hit by a car in Rokewood one week from Christmas and hours after police launched this season's Operation Roadwise.

Operation Roadwise has also focused on seat belt use after about 30 lives lost on Victorian roads the past year were not wearing seat belts

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