Police put dangerous drivers on notice
ACT Policing is warning Canberra drivers it will not tolerate dangerous driving, after a week of appalling driver behaviour in the capital.
Last weekend; Saturday and Sunday (August 23 and 24), ACT Policing caught 23 drink drivers – which is almost one drink driver caught every two hours. Seven of those drivers were identified as being repeat offenders and two were arrested for drink driving twice on the same day. Ten drivers were issued with an Immediate Suspension Notice, suspending their right to drive for 90 days.
Acting Officer In Charge Traffic Operations Sergeant Craig McPherson said police were disappointed by a week of poor driving behaviour.
“By removing impaired drivers from our roads, community safety is improved and the potential for serious or fatal crashes is greatly reduced. The message should now be clear to everyone: don’t drink and drive, you will be caught, anywhere and at any time,” Sergeant McPherson said.
Drink driving wasn’t the only risk-taking driving behaviour seen on ACT roads this week, with a 45-year-old Banks woman caught driving dangerously in Drakeford Drive on Tuesday (August 26).
About 1:15pm, Police travelling on Drakeford Drive, Monash noticed a red coloured van being driving dangerously; travelling closely behind other vehicles, swerving, changing lanes without indicating and travelling 50km/h over the sign-posted 80km/h speed limit. Police intercepted the vehicle and discovered the woman was driving unlicensed having never held driver’s licence – she was also a repeat unlicensed driving offender. Of concern, a young child was on board the vehicle at the time of the incident. The woman was summonsed to face the ACT Magistrates Court at a later date.
“Road safety is everyone’s responsibility – drivers who speed are gambling with their lives and the lives of others,” Sergeant McPherson said.
“We’re continuing to target speeding throughout these last few days of August and you can do your part by watching for speed signs and slowing down.”
The ‘Stop pushing the limits’ campaign forms part of the ACT’s multi-agency road safety strategy and aims to encourage attitudinal and behavioural change towards speeding. The campaign launched on 1 July and will continue throughout August 2014.