Police blitz catches drug, drink drivers
One in every 51 motorists stopped by police during a Wheatbelt crackdown on dangerous drivers was engaged in risky behaviour.
More than 110 local and Perth-based officers flooded 13 towns as part of Operation Aginar in an unprecedented "lockdown" of WA's most dangerous roads.
Police checked 3108 vehicles in the Friday night operation and 20 of those drivers tested positive to drugs or alcohol.
A further 37 were charged with speeding offences and three drivers were issued with infringements because of seatbelt offences.
Supt Peter Halliday said though it was positive most drivers were doing the right thing, it took only one driver engaging in risky behaviour for them to become a statistic.
"If you are under the influence of alcohol or drugs, you are not safe to drive a car and you are at imminent risk," he said.
The 11 positive drug results had been for either cannabis or methamphetamine.
Supt Halliday said one message he received from his officers across the region was that there were a lot of vehicles parked overnight near pubs and clubs.
"Obviously they heard about the operation and they were capable of making alternative arrangements to get home that night and I just wonder why they can't do that every time they go out to the pub or club," he said.
Last year, 49 people were killed or seriously injured in the Wheatbelt district, making it the most dangerous region in WA to drive in.
Supt Halliday said there would be similar operations in the future.
"We are out there 24/7, we will continue to target these offences . . . this is just the beginning," he said.
