Forty-one charged in Southern Region traffic operation
Police charged 41 motorists with drink and drug driving during Operation Auster, a six-day traffic blitz between Ipswich, Dalby, Roma and Warwick.
Forty-one motorists have been charged with drink and drug driving offences after a six-day traffic operation across Queensland Police Service's Southern Region.
Operation Auster ran from 19 to 24 October and involved officers from the Ipswich, Toowoomba and Dalby Highway Patrols. They carried out overt and covert enforcement between Ipswich, Dalby, Roma, the South Burnett and Warwick.
Police conducted 3,800 random breath tests, resulting in 13 drink driving charges, and 138 random drug tests, resulting in 28 drug driving charges. Officers also issued 470 traffic infringement notices, including 270 for speeding, 44 for disqualified driving and 72 for unregistered driving.
Police allege a Porsche Cayenne was detected travelling at 130km/h in a 100km/h zone on the D'Aguilar Highway at Benarkin about 1.30pm on 20 October. The 75-year-old Wulkuraka driver received a $777 infringement notice and four demerit points.
At about 9.30am on 21 October, officers allegedly saw a black Subaru Impreza with false number plates in Chinchilla. Police allege the driver accelerated away when approached, and the car was later found in a driveway on Centenary Avenue in Miles. A search allegedly uncovered 1.9 grams of methylamphetamine. A 31-year-old Dalby woman has been charged with multiple offences, including display plates for another vehicle, using cancelled plates, disqualified driving, possessing tainted property, stealing and possessing dangerous drugs. She is due to appear in Dalby Magistrates Court on 10 November.
Around 6.45am on 22 October, a Toyota Camry was allegedly detected at 122km/h in a 100km/h zone on the Carnarvon Highway at Euthulla. The 44-year-old Mareeba driver was fined $518 and received three demerit points. About 30 minutes later, the same driver was allegedly detected at 75km/h in a 60km/h zone on Northern Road in Roma, receiving a further $518 fine and three more demerit points.
Southern Region Operations Inspector David Campbell said: "Road safety is everyone's responsibility, and these results show there are still drivers making dangerous decisions that put themselves and other road users at risk."
The Southern Region has recorded 45 lives lost on its roads as of 27 October: 19 in the Darling Downs District, 22 in the Ipswich District and four in the South West District.
This report is based on information released by Queensland Police Service.