If you're thinking of heading out for a beer to watch the AFL grand final this Saturday night - or catch up with friends outdoors with a bottle of wine - police want you to know they'll be out there as well.
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Operation Scoreboard, a statewide blitz on drink and drug driving, speed, fatigue, and distraction, begins midnight Thursday and runs to Sunday.
According to the state government, Victorians were more than twice as likely to be killed on our roads on grand final day compared to the daily average.
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In the last five years, 19 Victorians were seriously injured on grand final day in the south west of the state, and another five in the west.
So far 166 Victorians have lost their lives on a Victorian road this year, up from 153 at the same time last year.
Ballarat Highway Patrol's Acting Senior Sergeant David Whitwell urged anyone planning on having a few drinks while watching the game, or heading away for the long weekend, to think about other road users and plan ahead to get home safely.
"The message from the police is that we're going to see increased opportunities in the community for socialising, and we implore people to make alternative transport arrangements if they decide to consume alcohol away from their own home," he said.
"The statistics tell us you're more likely to be involved in road trauma in weekends such as this.
"Consider the flow-on effects to yourself, your families, your loved ones, as we head into these warmer months and greater freedoms."
Road Safety Victoria executive director Carl Muller said a night grand final meant new risks.
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"Take extra care - focus on driving, be courteous, wear your seat belt and plan your way home ahead of time to avoid mixing drinking and driving," he said in a statement.
TAC Head of Road Safety Samantha Cockfield said people need to make "safe choices" on the road to help prevent crashes.
"If you're lucky enough to be heading off somewhere this weekend, or socialising within current restrictions, please prioritise safety on the roads," she said in a statement.
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