By Abbey Cannan
Thirteen people tested positive for drug driving in an overnight blitz by the Sunshine Coast police as part of Operation Tango Anaconda.
A total of 726 vehicles were intercepted as police diverted all northbound motorists off the Bruce Highway near the Glass House Mountains between 9pm Tuesday and 1am Wednesday.
Acting Inspector Paul Algie expressed disappointment at the results from the operation so far.
“On average, we’re still seeing one in every five drivers return positive results for drug driving,” he said.
“If you’re driving with a drug in your system, you’re 10 times more likely to be responsible for a crash. Every decision you make on our roads has a consequence.
“No matter where you are in Queensland, you can expect to see us.”
Twenty random drug tests were conducted with 13 people testing positive. Ten of those were also found to be in possession of drugs, while three drink drivers were also detected.
In addition to targeting drug driving offences, officers from the state’s Road Policing Task Force are working with local police to detect other dangerous driving behaviours on regional Queensland roads.
While patrolling the Warrego Highway, officers detected a motorist travelling 136km/h through a 110km/h zone.
The 62-year-old man submitted a roadside drug test returning a positive result.
The roadside saliva-based sample tests for THC, methylamphetamine and MDMA.
