Tough crackdown on 'risky' driving at Aussie beaches: 'No apology'
Driving on beaches 'can be hazardous and dangerous', police say.
Tourists flocking to popular camping hotspots over the holiday period have been warned not to drive recklessly on the beach as police officers come out in “full force”.
Cops on Queensland’s north coast will be increasing beachside patrols at Noosa North Shore, Teewah Beach and the Cooloola Coast to target “campers and visitors that engage in risk taking behaviour with their vehicles”.
From December 27 to December 30, officers in the area issued 118 traffic infringements for an array of offences like speeding, unsecured loads and failing to wear a helmet, police announced on Wednesday.
The safety blitz comes just days after holidaymakers trying to get onto Goolwa Beach, in South Australia, on New Year’s Day caused major traffic jams. The state was forced to introduce new speed limit rules for beaches — 40km/h for drivers on the sand and 25km/h when travelling within 50 metres of a person — after irresponsible four-wheel driving at Goolwa Beach on Christmas Day in 2022 left sand dunes severely damaged.
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Driving on beaches 'hazardous and dangerous'
Driving on beaches “can be hazardous and dangerous,” Wide Bay District Superintendent Paul Algie said. “The surfaces are different from what most of us are used to and require drivers to take additional care.
“Vehicle standards are safety standards. Defective or unroadworthy vehicles will be intercepted and drivers issued with infringement notices, and we make no apology for that. Every decision you make behind the wheel counts. We want to ensure everyone is going home to their loved ones this Christmas.”
Queensland Police said they had issued an infringement notice to a 17-year-old boy for hanging out of the passenger side window of a car travelling 80km/h. A man, 23, was also charged with drink driving after allegedly returning a blood alcohol concentration of 0.051%.
Five drivers allegedly tested positive to a relevant drug over the three days. Tragically, 277 people lost their lives on Queensland roads in 2023.
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