South Australia Police's new shadow patrol cars were deployed in the Limestone Coast this week to help detect and deter dangerous driving.
SAPOL launched the new shadow fleet of low visibility, marked patrol vehicles on Friday 10 July to assist with detecting drivers committing offences including drink and drug driving, speeding, inattentive driving, and dangerous driving – behaviours that put road users at risk.
Between Monday 27 and Wednesday 29 July, officers from the Road Policing Section conducted a road safety operation in the Limestone Coast area utilising two of the new fleet.
During the operation, the fleets focussed activity in the Kingston SE, Robe, Beachport, Millicent and Naracoorte townships. Eight drug drivers were detected, 34 traffic expiation notices issued and ten vehicles were defected.
Police issued eight instant loss of licences and impounded two cars.
A cannabis expiation notice was also issued after an amount of cannabis and drug paraphernalia were located inside a vehicle.
Other incidents of note include:
- In Robe, a 39-year-old Robe man was stopped for a drug test. He tested positive for cannabis and received a three-month loss of licence. The sample has been sent for forensic testing.
- In Millicent, a 49-year-old Millicent man, with a provisional licence, tested positive for cannabis. He was issued an expiation notice for drug driving and the car was defected for faulty seatbelts.
- A drug test in Millicent, saw a probationary licence holder testing positive for cannabis and his Holden sedan was defected for LPG compliance issues. The 23-year-old Millicent man was fined for not producing his probationary licence to police and reported for drug driving and breaching licence conditions. He will be summoned to court at a later date.
- A 35-year-old Millicent man was stopped as he pulled into his driveway. His vehicle was defected and impounded. He was reported for disqualified driving and will appear at Millicent Magistrates Court at a future date.
- A driver of a Holden sedan was stopped in Millicent due to the poor condition of his car. His vehicle was defected and he was also issued an expiation notice for breaching vehicle standards. In addition, the 28-year-old Millicent man was found to be driving disqualified. The car was impounded and he was reported for disqualified driving and will appear at Millicent Magistrates Court at a later date.
Overall, the shadow patrols cars were positively received by the community, including local school children who were interested to look at, talk about and photograph the vehicles in the towns visited across the region.
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