By Michael Roberts | posted on January 8, 2021
IT IS not often you receive good news from traffic cops, but Great Southern Police have praised motorists for their behaviour out on the roads during the Christmas and New Year period.
Despite high levels of traffic going back and forward from tourist hot- spots, Great Southern Police Acting Traffic Sergeant Kriss Logan said most drivers followed the road rules.
“It was as good as we could expect,” he said.
“Considering how many people are out there, it’s been very good to see how well behaved people have been and considerate they are to other road users.”
The Great Southern police district issued a pre-Christmas warning they would be cracking down on drink-drivers after a spike in offending.
And while most drivers listened, some motorists still flaunted the rules.
Between December 18 and January 3, 14 drivers were caught drink-driving on Great Southern roads after police conducted al most 10,000 breath tests.
“For 10,000, 14 seems like not many but it’s still 14 too many,” Sgt Logan said.
“Sadly, three of them were on Christmas Day in Albany.”
Of those 14 offenders, four were charged with driving under the influence (DUI), which means they blew an alcohol reading more than three times the legal limit.
Sgt Logan said seven people were charged with driving under the influence of drugs over the holiday period.
After an increase in the number of road accidents involving caravans and trailers, Sgt Logan said it was pleasing motorists were being careful.
“There was a spike in crashes as caravans started moving again, but over this Christmas-New Year period we’ve been okay thankfully,” he said.
“I was working the weekend and the highway heading north from Albany had a constant stream of cars and trailers.”
Three days before Christmas, a 75-year-old man died after his Mazda utility collided with a road train at the intersection of Albany Highway and Jackson Road in Narrikup.
But since that incident, Sgt Logan said there hadn’t been any major crashes on Great Southern roads.
According to the Road Safety Commission, 93 people died on regional WA roads last year, com- pared to 98 in 2019 and 2018.
