Police have been keeping a close eye on beaches, including Rainbow Beach and K’gari, over the school holidays, conducting more than 2700 breath tests as part of Operation Spring Break to keep beach driving safe during the busy break.
From 20 September to 6 October, officers from the Wide Bay Burnett Highway Patrol and Tactical Crime Squad, joined by Brisbane’s Road Policing Task Force, patrolled key beach hotspots at Rainbow, K’gari, and Kinkuna.
The operation, which wrapped up on 10 October, detected four alleged drink drivers, three alleged drug drivers, and saw police issue 203 traffic infringement notices for offences including speeding and failing to wear seatbelts.
On K’gari, a child allegedly sat unrestrained on a passenger’s lap, earning the 39-year-old driver, a Tingalpa man, a $1251 fine and four demerit points.
Bodycam of the police officer speaking to the driver reveals him telling the man that the behaviour is extremely dangerous for the child (aged between 4 and 7).
“Do you know what an airbag can do to a young child?” the officer chided.
“I have to attend the fatal crashes, and so far this year, we’ve lost 35 people in our region (Northcoast, which covers Bundaberg to Petrie).”
Another driver, a 55-year-old New South Wales man, allegedly blew 0.072 and had his licence suspended and appeared at the Hervey Bay Magistrates Court.
Wide Bay Burnett District Officer Superintendent Anne Vogler said most drivers were doing the right thing, but warned against complacency.
“We know our beaches are places where drivers often relax their attention to the rules,” she said.
“Seatbelts can be one of the first road rules that is dropped when driving on the sand; however, that’s an extremely dangerous decision.
“Even one drink driver is one too many, but considering how many people were breath tested, the results were generally positive.”
