State Highway Patrol pings almost 300 drivers speeding in Ballarat

Thanks to Operation Fahrenheit, a whopping 272 drivers can now either expect a fine in the mail, demerit points - or will face a date in court.

Locally. Moorabool, Ballarat and Northern Grampians highway patrol officers ran Operation Curdled ahead of the music festival season.

In one of the most disturbing cases, Sergeant Craig Kelson said a Melton driver was clocked at 104 in a 40 zone as she drove into the sun.

He said police on foot with witches hats were trying to direct the freeway driver into a Bungaree rest area for a random breath test at the time.

"We're coming into the festive season, and the state road toll now stands at 258 lives lost - compared to 217 this time last year," Sergeant Kelso said.

"The rolling average over five years is 206.

"Speed and impaired driving are the biggest factors with fatal crashes."

Road Policing Operations and Investigations Acting Superintendent Matthew Anderson said speed continued to be the most common traffic sin in the Ballarat area.

He said the penalty for travelling 10-to-25kmh above the speed limit was $385 and three demerit points.

"It's quite significant," Superintendent Anderson said.

"But it can easily be avoided simply by slowing down and sticking to the signposted speed."

Operation Fahrenheit also caught 16 unlicensed or disqualified drivers around Ballarat.

On top of that, officers pulled over six people for disobeying traffic signs - and two for failing to wear correct motorcycle helmets.

Three cars were also impounded.

Police said they found one driver using a mobile phone - and one failing to wear a seatbelt.

Officers also carried out 7185 breath tests - with six people over their limits - as well as 114 drug tests, with two returning positive readings.

Units working together on the operation included State Highway Patrol and Heavy Vehicle Unit as well as police operating booze buses.

Detectives are investigating two car fires in suburban Ballarat - and both before dawn Saturday.

At 2.30am, firefighters were called to Cinnamon Drive Lake Gardens, where a fire in the tray of a ute parked in a driveway threatened to spread to nearby buildings.

Police said the exact origin of the blaze was not known but it was being treated as suspicious.

At 4.58am on Saturday fire crews were also called to a car found fully alight in the Lake Esmond carpark in Canadian.

The blaze was under control within 20 minutes, but caused major damage to a silver Subaru Forrester wagon.

Detectives from Ballarat's Criminal Investigation Unit want anyone with information to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.