The results are in from SAPOL’s Operation Danger with 462 road safety offences detected in one week.
Between the 4th and 10th of November, patrols were out in full force, on the lookout for drink and drug driving and other dangerous behaviour from motorists.
One the first day of the operation, two women were killed in a mult-vehicle crash in Wattle Flat. The truck driver, a 35-year-old man from Victor Harbor, was arrested and charged with two counts of causing death by dangeorus driving.
Another incident of note involved a 28-year-old Mount Barker man who was tracked by PolAir from Enfield and up the South-Eastern Freeway. Police arrested the man at his residential address for numerous traffic offences.
Police detected 40 drivers speeding, 59 following too close, 19 drivers disobeying traffic lights, 31 drivers changing lanes dangerously, 114 drivers failing to give way and 68 drivers misusing a motor vehicle.
SA Police expiation data indicates that dangerous driving offences are often paired with drink and drug driving offences. As a result, police also conducted drug and alcohol tests and caught 58 drink drivers and 73 drug drivers.
Traffic Services Branch Officer in Charge, Superintendent Darren Fielke said this operation sends a clear message that dangerous driving on South Australian roads will not be tolerated.
“Operation Danger targets high-risk road users who choose to put their and others’ lives at risk,” Superintendent Fielke said.
“SA Police attitudinal research shows that dangerous drivers are a cohort that make deliberate decisions to take risks,” Superintendent Fielke said.
“I ask road users to take heed of these results and realise that dangerous driving has serious consequences.
“Not only have we seen hundreds of offences detected resulting in serious penalties but more tragically we have seen lives lost and serious injuries that could have been avoided
“The road rules are there to protect all road users. It’s critical that dangerous drivers wake up to the risk they pose to themselves and others and make safer choices.”