Forty-one motorists have been charged with drink and drug driving offences following a six-day traffic operation targeting dangerous driver behaviour and vehicle offences across Queensland Police Service’s Southern Region.
Running from 19 to 24 October, Operation Auster involved officers from the Ipswich, Toowoomba and Dalby Highway Patrols, conducting overt and covert traffic enforcement between Ipswich, Dalby, Roma, the South Burnett and Warwick.
During the operation, police conducted 3,800 random breath tests, resulting in 13 people being charged with drink driving, and 138 random drug tests, resulting in 28 people being charged with drug driving.
Officers also issued 470 traffic infringement notices, including 270 for speeding, 44 for disqualified driving and 72 for unregistered driving.
At around 1.30pm on 20 October, police were conducting patrols along the D’Aguilar Highway at Benarkin when they allegedly detected a Porsche Cayenne travelling at 130km/h in a 100km/h zone.
The driver, a 75-year-old Wulkuraka man, was issued with a $777 infringement notice and incurred four demerit points.
At about 9.30am on 21 October, officers allegedly observed a black Subaru Impreza displaying false number plates in Chinchilla.
When police approached the vehicle, the driver allegedly accelerated away at speed.
A short time later, the vehicle was located parked in a driveway on Centenary Avenue in Miles. When officers entered the property, the female driver allegedly attempted to reverse out of the driveway before being intercepted. When officers searched the vehicle, they allegedly found 1.9 grams of methylamphetamine.
A 31-year-old Dalby woman has been charged with three counts each of display plates for another vehicle and using cancelled plates, two counts each of disqualified driving and possessing tainted property and one count each of stealing, possessing dangerous drugs, driving a defective vehicle, driving an unregistered vehicle and driving an uninsured vehicle.
She is due to appear in Dalby Magistrates Court on 10 November.
Around 6.45am on 22 October, police detected a Toyota Camry allegedly travelling at 122km/h in a 100km/h zone on the Carnarvon Highway at Euthulla.
The driver, a 44-year-old Mareeba man was issued with a $518 infringement notice and incurred three demerit points.
About 30 minutes later, the same driver was allegedly detected travelling at 75km/h in a 60km/h zone on Northern Road in Roma.
He was issued with a further $518 infringement notice and incurred another three demerit points.
Southern Region Operations Inspector David Campbell said the results highlighted the importance of continued enforcement and responsible driver behaviour.
“Road safety is everyone’s responsibility, and these results show there are still drivers making dangerous decisions that put themselves and other road users at risk,” Inspector Campbell said.
“Every time someone gets behind the wheel, they have a responsibility to obey the road rules and make decisions that protect everyone sharing our roads. There is no tolerance for reckless behaviour that endangers lives.”
Inspector Campbell said motorists should expect to encounter police anywhere, at any time.
“Police will continue to conduct both overt and covert traffic enforcement across the region. Whether you’re travelling through a major centre or a regional community, you can expect police to be out there enforcing the road rules,” he said.
The operation comes as the Southern Region records 45 lives lost on its roads as of 27 October.
Of those lives lost, 19 were in the Darling Downs District, 22 in the Ipswich District and four in the South West District.
Inspector Campbell said the road toll was a sobering reminder of the consequences of unsafe driving.
“Behind every road fatality is a devastating impact on families, friends and communities. We need every driver to take responsibility for their actions and understand that speeding, drink driving, drug driving and other dangerous behaviours can have life-changing consequences.
“Slow down, never drive under the influence of alcohol or drugs, and make sure your vehicle is registered and you are legally entitled to drive. A few minutes saved or a risk taken behind the wheel is never worth a life.”
The Queensland Police Service is committed to reducing the number of lives lost on our roads.
As part of Operation Interpose, police are bolstering high-visibility patrols right across the state, engaging with road users and enforcing the laws to deter dangerous driving behaviours.
Queenslanders can expect police – anywhere, anytime. However, enforcement alone cannot stop all dangerous driving behaviours.
Driving under the influence, speeding, driving distracted or while fatigued, or not wearing a seatbelt puts your life – and the lives of others – at serious risk. These dangerous behaviours will not be tolerated.
Road safety starts with you.
