Operation Gather ran from Wednesday 3 April to Sunday 7 April and included high visibility policing, enforcement of the Fatal Five road behaviours and education strategies to reduce vehicle collisions and road trauma.
Sadly, there were three lives lost in a horrific heavy vehicle crash on the Eyre Highway, west of Yalata about 6.45am on Thursday 4 April.
There were also 15 serious injuries as a result of road trauma on our roads during the operation.
Police detected 49 drivers with a blood alcohol reading over the legal limit, with a further 60 drivers tested positive to drug driving.
Police detected 908 speeding offences, 28 seatbelt offences and 93 drivers distracted by their mobile phones.
A total of 358 dangerous driving offences were detected, such as misuse of a motor vehicle, failing to comply with signage, giving way, lighting and lane behaviour.
As a result of the operation, 97 vehicles were impounded and 71 people were issued with an immediate loss of licence.
These results include the following incidents of note:
- sideswiping the wall of a liquor store drive-thru at Glenelg and recording a blood alcohol reading of 0.228 (link to release)
- A 60-year-old Port Augusta man failing to stop at a stop sign about 3pm on 4 April at Port Augusta West, with no learner plates displayed, no qualified supervising driver and a blood alcohol of 0.128
- during the same incident at Lockleys when a car hit a tree. The first driver, a 27-year-old Lockleys man, recorded a blood alcohol reading of 0.197, then his 28-year-old friend arrived at the scene and recorded a blood alcohol reading of 0.092.
- A 21-year-old Salisbury Downs man detected travelling at 152 km/h in a 60 km/h zone about 9pm on 3 April at Edinburgh and reported for extreme speed.
Superintendent Darren Fielke, Officer in Charge Traffic Services Branch said, “Overall we were pleased with the driving behaviours of those attending the Gather Round games and festivities. Our traffic officers noted large volumes of traffic on the highways, particularly the Dukes Highway, and reported that drivers were generally well-behaved.”
