Canberra drivers continue to drive badly

Police vehicle in traffic with flashing red and blue lights

ACT Policing has been kept busy on Canberra’s roads, due to a large number of collisions and multiple instances of poor driver behaviour.

Officer in Charge of Road Policing, Detective Station Sergeant Marcus Boorman today expressed his continuing frustration at drivers who break the law.

“I don’t know what’s causing this driver behaviour, but I do know what the effect will be, someone’s luck will run out and we’ll have a person, or people killed,” Detective Sergeant Boorman said.

“Police are seeing so many drivers doing the wrong thing, and it’s not just my Road Policing team seeing it, it’s General Duties officers in marked cars, it’s Criminal Investigations officers on their way to other jobs, and they’re all issuing infringements.

“We’re catching people speeding, drink driving, drug driving, using their phones, and ignoring red lights on a daily basis, yet every day we’re catching more people doing it.

“It shouldn’t take the threat of being caught to make people do the right thing, because these people are, simply, risking lives. This behaviour has to stop.”

Some of the incidents requiring police response in recent days are:

On Thursday, 14 May 2020, two vehicles detected in excess of 150km/h on Parkes Way. One driver failed a drug test.

On Friday night, 15 May, a vehicle detected at 140km/h in an 80 zone in Fyshwick. The driver failed a breath test, and was already driving while his licence was suspended.

On Sunday, 17 May, at 3am a car collided into a house in Kambah. The 19-year-old driver failed a breath test.

On Sunday, at 4.15pm a car rolled several times on the Federal Highway. The driver is in hospital.

On Sunday, at 7.30pm a ute rear-ended another vehicle on the Monaro Highway. The driver failed a breath test, and was allegedly using his mobile phone.

This morning, Monday 18 May 2020 in less than one hour, four drivers were detected exceeding the speed limit by more than 20 kilometres an hour including a provisional driver who was detected at 132 km/h in the 80 zone. Another driver was issued with an infringement for running a red light, while a marked police vehicle was stationary at the intersection.

Media enquiries

Police Media — (02) 5126 9070, act-police-media@afp.gov.au

Editors please note:

Photos and video relating to some of the incidents detailed in this release are available for download from https://spaces.hightail.com/receive/xET7SSL9b9

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