Driver's wild act with jet ski on popular 4WD beach highlights worrying trend
More than 400 fines have been issued in four days along the same stretch of Aussie beach, prompting a warning from police.
Wild footage of a driver in a ute speeding past a line of travelling vehicles while towing a jet ski on a popular Aussie 4WD beach has sparked an urgent warning from police that safe driving rules don't go out the window as soon as you hit the sand.
The incident occurred at Teewah Beach along the Cooloola Coast in southeast Queensland, highlighting the ongoing bad behaviour by drivers as holidaymakers descend onto the Aussie coast. The driver was in such a rush, they risked travelling on the soft sand which ultimately left him bogged and in need of rescuing.
The footage, shared by Sunshine Coast News, comes after more than 400 drivers were issued fines on the beach in only four days. Police have flagged an alarming number of drivers don't seem to apply road rules when they cruise along the beach, with hundreds of penalties handed out for offences such as speeding, mobile phone use and drink driving.
"We got people driving in their car up the beach whilst on the phone, no seatbelt and a two-year-old standing in the backseat looking out the window," Senior Sergeant Nelson told 7News. "We ordered 14 cars off the road because they were so defective that they shouldn't be driven."
"What's important is enjoying your holidays without having to go to a hospital in the morning," Nelson said.
Dangerous driving puts endangered wildlife at risk
Not only does dangerous driving along Teewah Beach put drivers and passengers' lives at risk, but it can also have devastating impact on two endangered species of turtle that use the dunes for nesting.
The Cooloola Coast welcomes upwards of 30 nesting females and the area is "crucial" for the survival of the species, but the increase in 4WD activity and dangerous driving is causing concern.
"When the young hatch, there are often hundreds per nest heading to the ocean but they often get stuck in the four-wheel drive ruts and perish," Jan Waters from Cooloola Coast Turtle Care told Yahoo News previously.
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Drivers continue to get bogged across Australia
Every summer, chaotic scenes across Aussie beaches show drivers stuck in the sand — often as a result of drivers ignoring the capabilities of their cars to drive offroad.
Just this week, a van was found stuck in the sand at the entrance of Goolwa Beach in South Australia having seemingly ignored 4WD-only signs, with another driver allegedly caught speeding days earlier at the same location. The driver lost control and rolled over, prompting a stern warning from the council's mayor.
Another 4WD driver attracted a large crowd at Bribie Island after getting bogged in water, with it unclear if the motorist misjudged the rising tide or simply overestimated his car's ability. He was rescued after being towed out by a fellow driver
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