A young driver has copped a $1000 fine and been banned from the road for six months as Queensland Police “conduct one of their largest simultaneous” safety blitzes in recent years.
As the school holidays in the state come to a close, officers are reminding the public of the steep penalties in place for offenders flouting road rules. They warn of a “concerning” rise in “drivers operating a vehicle while under the influence of drugs or alcohol” across Brisbane.
On June 27, police stopped a 23-year-old Wynnum man for a random breath test at a Shafston Avenue traffic enforcement site in Kangaroo Point. The man allegedly returned a breath analysis reading of 0.152 per cent — three times over the limit.
The man was charged with one count of driving under the influence and appeared before the Brisbane Magistrate Court on July 7. There, he was fined $1000 and had his licence disqualified for six months.
Throughout the crackdown, numerous other alleged offences were detected on the road.
Police have launched one of their largest simultaneous road safety crackdowns in Queensland. Source: QPS
Drivers charged amid major crackdown on Queensland roads
On June 11, police responded to a crash on Dandenong Road where a Mazda collided with a pole. The female driver, the sole occupant, was taken to hospital as a precaution. A blood analysis allegedly showed her alcohol content was 0.141 per cent, nearly three times the legal limit.
The 79-year-old woman from Corinda has been charged with one count of driving over the middle alcohol limit and is due to appear at Brisbane Magistrates Court on August 17.
On July 10, a man was charged following a single-vehicle crash at Mount Coot-tha. Around 12.20 am, police were called to Scenic Drive after reports that a ute crossed onto the wrong side of the road and crashed. At the police station, the man allegedly returned a breath analysis reading of 0.156 per cent.
The vehicle was allegedly unregistered. The 25-year-old Kuraby man has been charged with driving under the influence and driving an unregistered vehicle. He is due to appear in court on August 5.
South Brisbane District Acting Inspector Stephen Gough urged motorists to take accountability for their actions and think twice before they “get behind the wheel after drinking”.
“A split-second decision can lead to tragic life-long consequences,” he warned.
Across the city, more than 200 police from highway patrol units and general duties police conducted large-scale random breath test (RBT) and random drug tests (RDT).
A total of 6,731 RBTs and 454 RDTs were conducted, detecting 18 people driving under the influence of alcohol and 21 people driving under the influence of drugs.
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