By JOLENE OGLE
IT’S been a bruising day on Noosa roads today with two separate car crashes in a matter of hours.
The accidents come as the inaugural Queensland Road Safety Week enters the final days of the driver safety campaign.
About 8.15am this morning, traffic on the Sunshine Motorway was brought to a standstill when a Subaru SUV and a station wagon crashed north-bound at the Peregian Springs roundabout.
A 23-year-old male and a 40-year-old female were freed from the wreckage and taken to Nambour hospital in a stable condition.
Only hours later, about 2pm, a black SUV skidded out of control on Ernest Street, Tewantin, and crashed into a pole before coming to a stop in the stormwater drain.
The female driver is expected to be uninjured.
The crashes come as the Queensland Police Service call for locals to speak up for road safety and to become directly involved in making local roads safer for everyone.
As part of Queensland Road Safety Week, which ends tomorrow, local police teamed up to target drunk and drug drivers, unregistered vehicles and unlicensed driving.
Noosa Heads Police ran a shut-down operation on the Bruce Highway near Federal last night (19 August) in conjunction with the Pomona, Cooroy and Eumundi police, the Nambour and Gympie road policing units, as well as Sunshine Coast detectives and the Department of Main Roads.
Noosa Heads Officer in Charge Senior Sergeant Steve McReight said the operation was a great team effort with more than 360 drivers tested for drunk-driving.
Four people will now face court charged with offences such as drink-driving, drug possession and driving unlicensed, while three drivers returned positive tests for illegal drugs.
Sixteen tickets were issued for speeding and driving defected vehicles, while two cars were impounded; one for seven days while the other has been forfeited to the crown.
One driver was issued with a fatigue warning and 14 defect notices were given to heavy vehicles including trucks.
Snr Sgt McReight said the policing teams were greatly assisted by the local SES crews who helped with lighting.
The police plan another shut-down of a major coast road tonight and will target speeding, drink driving and other traffic offences.
