Roadies, unbelted kids and smoky cars: Police crack down on reckless beach drivers
Queensland Police Service (QPS) officers issued 272 traffic infringement notices (TINs) across an eight-day period including the Easter and Labour Day long weekends, with everybody from drug-users to parents with unrestrained children caught up in the operation.
A 19-year-old Wynnum West P-plater copped five TINs for a total of $6400 in fines and 16 demerit points, after he was allegedly found to be driving a defective vehicle under the influence of alcohol and – like his two passengers – not wearing a seatbelt.
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A 27-year-old Newtown man was also stung for multiple infringements, receiving eight demerit points and $2200 in fines for drinking alcohol while driving 'in a way that makes unnecessary noise or smoke' and not wearing a seatbelt.
A 38-year-old Mooloolaba man was fined for driving his vehicle while a child under the age of four was sitting unrestrained on a passenger's lap, costing him $1209 and four demerit points.
Of the 2356 random breath tests conducted as part of Operation Sandstorm, seven yielded positive results. Of the 195 random drug tests conducted, 10 people were found to be driving under the influence of drugs such as cannabis, methamphetamine and cocaine.
'A successful deployment to Noosa North Shore for us is one without crashes or deaths – that's what we count as a good result,' Acting Senior Sergeant Keith Preston said.
'It's disappointing to see so many people continue to have such disregard for the safety of themselves, their passengers and the other road and beach users by driving in a dangerous manner and in dangerous cars.
'It's a privilege to drive on the beach and we need to treat it as we would driving on the road.
'No doubt our presence on the beach, enforcement action and educational engagements corrected the behaviours of many people and provided a safer environment for all people, families and children using the beach.'
While driving on the beach isn't allowed in Victoria, there are multiple beaches in Queensland, New South Wales, the Northern Territory, Tasmania and Western Australia where vehicles have access.
South Australia is tightening up its laws, though it says it has no intention to ban all vehicles on its beaches.
A study by the University of the Sunshine Coast has found 4x4s are causing 'unequivocal serious and widespread damage' to coastal dune ecosystems, with its lead author saying there's no 'safe level' of beach driving.
The Queensland Government has previously said it has no plan to ban driving on beaches in the Sunshine State, though the local council in Mackay has banned driving on the foreshore and beach on council-controlled land from Harbour Beach to East Point.
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ABOVE: Jade Muscat via social media Court documents obtained by 7News show Ms Muscat told police in Albury that she continued to drive because "she needed to get to Melbourne to see family" and "had no other means of getting there as police in Gundagai told her there were no trains from there". "Police formed the opinion that the accused had no regard for other people on the road and showed no remorse relating to her driving behaviour," according to the documents, which stated the sequence of events occurred during fine, sunny weather on sealed, dry roads while traffic was "medium to heavy due to school holidays and families travelling". "Gundagai is a township with a 24-hour service centre, and a bus service that is available for travel if booked." Content originally sourced from: A teenager who was caught speeding three times in one day at separate points along the Hume Highway has pleaded guilty to six driving offences. 7News reports 19-year-old Jade Muscat was pulled over by police on three separate occasions on Saturday, April 12 in her black Jaguar F-Pace as she attempted to travel from Sydney to Melbourne, breaking multiple road rules in the process. She's now due to appear at Gundagai Local Court for sentencing on August 15, and police have reportedly requested her car be forfeited to the crown upon her conviction under section 245 of the Road Transport Act. Under the Act, a vehicle is eligible for confiscation by the government if its driver commits a serious offence for a second time within five years. CarExpert can save you thousands on a new car. Click here to get a great deal. ABOVE: Image courtesy of 7News The drama began when the teen, from Paddington in Sydney's eastern suburbs, was issued with a speeding ticket after she was clocked travelling at more than 20km/h over the 110km/h limit on the Hume Highway at Gunning, in the NSW Southern Tablelands, at around 10:40am on April 12. After continuing south on the Hume, Ms Muscat was again pulled over by highway patrol officers just over an hour later, after she was detected driving at 215km/h about 11:45am at Tumblong just south of Gundagai. Police issued her with a court attendance notice for two offences – driving at a dangerous speed and exceeding speeds more than 45km/h as a green P-plater. They suspended her licence, confiscated her number plates and issued her with a confiscation notice, which was affixed to her windscreen. ABOVE: Jaguar F-Pace But less than two hours later at about 1:30pm, police received a complaint about a black SUV without number plates weaving in and out of traffic and driving at excess speed while travelling south on the Hume near Little Billabong. Police apprehended Ms Muscat after taking up a stationary position on the Hume Highway at Table Top, before taking her to Albury police station. She was charged with a further five charges – drive recklessly/furiously or speed/manner dangerous, Class A motor vehicle exceed speed more than 45 km/h, drive motor vehicle while licence suspended, operate vehicle during number-plate confiscation period, and tamper with number-plate confiscation notice. Police later dropped one of the seven charges, which was issued during the second speeding incident – P2 exceed speed more than 45km/h – and Ms Muscat pleaded guilty to the six remaining charges during court hearings in Gundagai and Albury last month. ABOVE: Jade Muscat via social media Court documents obtained by 7News show Ms Muscat told police in Albury that she continued to drive because "she needed to get to Melbourne to see family" and "had no other means of getting there as police in Gundagai told her there were no trains from there". "Police formed the opinion that the accused had no regard for other people on the road and showed no remorse relating to her driving behaviour," according to the documents, which stated the sequence of events occurred during fine, sunny weather on sealed, dry roads while traffic was "medium to heavy due to school holidays and families travelling". "Gundagai is a township with a 24-hour service centre, and a bus service that is available for travel if booked." Content originally sourced from: A teenager who was caught speeding three times in one day at separate points along the Hume Highway has pleaded guilty to six driving offences. 7News reports 19-year-old Jade Muscat was pulled over by police on three separate occasions on Saturday, April 12 in her black Jaguar F-Pace as she attempted to travel from Sydney to Melbourne, breaking multiple road rules in the process. She's now due to appear at Gundagai Local Court for sentencing on August 15, and police have reportedly requested her car be forfeited to the crown upon her conviction under section 245 of the Road Transport Act. Under the Act, a vehicle is eligible for confiscation by the government if its driver commits a serious offence for a second time within five years. CarExpert can save you thousands on a new car. Click here to get a great deal. ABOVE: Image courtesy of 7News The drama began when the teen, from Paddington in Sydney's eastern suburbs, was issued with a speeding ticket after she was clocked travelling at more than 20km/h over the 110km/h limit on the Hume Highway at Gunning, in the NSW Southern Tablelands, at around 10:40am on April 12. After continuing south on the Hume, Ms Muscat was again pulled over by highway patrol officers just over an hour later, after she was detected driving at 215km/h about 11:45am at Tumblong just south of Gundagai. Police issued her with a court attendance notice for two offences – driving at a dangerous speed and exceeding speeds more than 45km/h as a green P-plater. They suspended her licence, confiscated her number plates and issued her with a confiscation notice, which was affixed to her windscreen. ABOVE: Jaguar F-Pace But less than two hours later at about 1:30pm, police received a complaint about a black SUV without number plates weaving in and out of traffic and driving at excess speed while travelling south on the Hume near Little Billabong. Police apprehended Ms Muscat after taking up a stationary position on the Hume Highway at Table Top, before taking her to Albury police station. She was charged with a further five charges – drive recklessly/furiously or speed/manner dangerous, Class A motor vehicle exceed speed more than 45 km/h, drive motor vehicle while licence suspended, operate vehicle during number-plate confiscation period, and tamper with number-plate confiscation notice. Police later dropped one of the seven charges, which was issued during the second speeding incident – P2 exceed speed more than 45km/h – and Ms Muscat pleaded guilty to the six remaining charges during court hearings in Gundagai and Albury last month. ABOVE: Jade Muscat via social media Court documents obtained by 7News show Ms Muscat told police in Albury that she continued to drive because "she needed to get to Melbourne to see family" and "had no other means of getting there as police in Gundagai told her there were no trains from there". "Police formed the opinion that the accused had no regard for other people on the road and showed no remorse relating to her driving behaviour," according to the documents, which stated the sequence of events occurred during fine, sunny weather on sealed, dry roads while traffic was "medium to heavy due to school holidays and families travelling". "Gundagai is a township with a 24-hour service centre, and a bus service that is available for travel if booked." Content originally sourced from: A teenager who was caught speeding three times in one day at separate points along the Hume Highway has pleaded guilty to six driving offences. 7News reports 19-year-old Jade Muscat was pulled over by police on three separate occasions on Saturday, April 12 in her black Jaguar F-Pace as she attempted to travel from Sydney to Melbourne, breaking multiple road rules in the process. She's now due to appear at Gundagai Local Court for sentencing on August 15, and police have reportedly requested her car be forfeited to the crown upon her conviction under section 245 of the Road Transport Act. Under the Act, a vehicle is eligible for confiscation by the government if its driver commits a serious offence for a second time within five years. CarExpert can save you thousands on a new car. Click here to get a great deal. ABOVE: Image courtesy of 7News The drama began when the teen, from Paddington in Sydney's eastern suburbs, was issued with a speeding ticket after she was clocked travelling at more than 20km/h over the 110km/h limit on the Hume Highway at Gunning, in the NSW Southern Tablelands, at around 10:40am on April 12. After continuing south on the Hume, Ms Muscat was again pulled over by highway patrol officers just over an hour later, after she was detected driving at 215km/h about 11:45am at Tumblong just south of Gundagai. Police issued her with a court attendance notice for two offences – driving at a dangerous speed and exceeding speeds more than 45km/h as a green P-plater. They suspended her licence, confiscated her number plates and issued her with a confiscation notice, which was affixed to her windscreen. ABOVE: Jaguar F-Pace But less than two hours later at about 1:30pm, police received a complaint about a black SUV without number plates weaving in and out of traffic and driving at excess speed while travelling south on the Hume near Little Billabong. Police apprehended Ms Muscat after taking up a stationary position on the Hume Highway at Table Top, before taking her to Albury police station. She was charged with a further five charges – drive recklessly/furiously or speed/manner dangerous, Class A motor vehicle exceed speed more than 45 km/h, drive motor vehicle while licence suspended, operate vehicle during number-plate confiscation period, and tamper with number-plate confiscation notice. Police later dropped one of the seven charges, which was issued during the second speeding incident – P2 exceed speed more than 45km/h – and Ms Muscat pleaded guilty to the six remaining charges during court hearings in Gundagai and Albury last month. ABOVE: Jade Muscat via social media Court documents obtained by 7News show Ms Muscat told police in Albury that she continued to drive because "she needed to get to Melbourne to see family" and "had no other means of getting there as police in Gundagai told her there were no trains from there". "Police formed the opinion that the accused had no regard for other people on the road and showed no remorse relating to her driving behaviour," according to the documents, which stated the sequence of events occurred during fine, sunny weather on sealed, dry roads while traffic was "medium to heavy due to school holidays and families travelling". "Gundagai is a township with a 24-hour service centre, and a bus service that is available for travel if booked." Content originally sourced from:
