Minister for Police Mark Ryan MP and Assistant Commissioner Ben Marcus are reminding motorists to expect police anytime, anywhere as they return home from school holidays this weekend.
Officers from Road Policing Units across Queensland are continuing high-volume road safety enforcement activities as part of Operation Tango Spring Break 2021.
Minister Ryan said during the first two weeks of Spring Break, police have issued more than 7,100 infringement notices for life-endangering driving offences.
“If you are driving home from holidays this weekend, remember that police are out in force to ensure driver safety and compliance,” Minister Ryan said.
“Already throughout Operation Spring Break, 3,512 on-the-spot fines have been issued for speeding, 130 for using a mobile phone while driving and 126 for not wearing a seatbelt.
“Additionally, 566 drink driving offences were detected following 36,315 breath tests and 321 drivers were detected driving with illicit drugs in their system.”
Assistant Commissioner Ben Marcus said the results of the operation to-date highlighted the alarming level of motorists continuing to take risks while on the road.
“While most people are doing the right thing behind the wheel, the results coming through from Operation Spring Break clearly show there are far too many motorists continuing to do the wrong thing,” Assistant Commissioner Marcus said.
“The police work hard to protect motorists and keep everyone safe while on the road, but we cannot do it alone.
“We want everyone to make it home safe these school holidays, so please, drive to the conditions and remember the Fatal Five; speeding, lack of seatbelts, drink/drug driving, driver distraction and fatigue.”
Since the start of Spring Break, police have also responded to 468 crashes resulting in injuries, as well as minor crashes causing traffic congestion and damage to vehicles.
On September 25, an officer from the Mt Ommaney Road Policing Unit (RPU) provided immediate assistance following a crash involving an allegedly drunk driver at Eight Mile Plains.
About 3pm, a ute collided with a station wagon that was stopped at a set of traffic lights on Logan Road.
As a result, the station wagon was pushed into the middle of the busy intersection.
Fortunately, the two occupants of the wagon, a man and woman both aged 42, were not seriously injured.
The driver of the ute, a 49-year-old man, was subject of a roadside breath test and police will allege he returned a blood alcohol concentration of 0.062.
As a result, the man was issued with a Notice to Appear in Holland Park Magistrates Court for driving over the general alcohol limit.
Assistant Commissioner Marcus said the incident served as a reminder that unsafe decisions made on the road endanger everyone on the road.
“Recently we have seen far too many serious and, sadly, fatal consequences of dangerous driver behaviour,” he said.
“In the past week alone, six people have lost their lives on our roads.
“This is an horrific figure and it is important to remember that every one of these people leave behind dozens of loved ones whose lives will never be the same.
“Road safety is everyone’s responsibility. It starts with you.”
Operation Tango Spring Break 2021 will continue until October 8.
