Police fined a 25-year-old Raceview man $690 after he allegedly drove in the breakdown lane of the Ipswich Motorway near Wacol to pass congested traffic. Police allege a roadside drug test and a secondary test returned positive results, and he faces a drug driving charge at Ipswich Magistrates Court. Separately, a 17-year-old Ipswich boy received a $310 fine after driving on the wrong side of the road on Karrabin Rosewood Road, Karrabin, forcing a police motorcycle to swerve. Senior Sergeant Jarrad Tyne urged drivers to stay focused on the road.
Bundaberg police have fined dozens of drivers after a four-day operation targeting defective vehicles. Highway Patrol officers worked with Transport and Main Roads compliance officers to stop 164 vehicles between 15 and 18 October. Officers issued 76 defect notices, 56 of them for major defects, along with 53 penalty infringement notices. Police also carried out more than 120 roadside breath tests and eight random drug tests, with one drug test allegedly returning a positive result. Sergeant Gordon Hard said the work will continue on roads and beaches across the division.
Sunshine Coast police have warned motorists after more than 20 people were allegedly detected driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Operation Lasso was held near a service station on the Bruce Highway at Glasshouse Mountains on the evening of October 13. Ten people returned positive breath tests, including a 35-year-old Roma man allegedly recording a blood alcohol reading of 0.279 per cent. He has been charged and is due to appear in Nambour Magistrates Court on November 12. Twelve others allegedly tested positive to drug driving, and six vehicles allegedly evaded officers.
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Sunshine Coast police have warned motorists that driving under the influence will not be tolerated. Operation Lasso ran for three hours on the evening of 13 October near a service station on the Bruce Highway at Glasshouse Mountains. Ten people returned positive roadside breath tests, including a 35-year-old Roma man who allegedly recorded 0.279 per cent. He has been charged and is due to face Nambour Magistrates Court on 12 November. Twelve people allegedly tested positive for drug driving.
A drug-affected driver who killed a mother of four in northern Victoria has been sentenced to eight years and two months in prison. Lance O'Brien, 31, pleaded guilty to culpable driving causing death and contravening bail conditions. His car veered into the lane of Vilia Sutherland on the Barmah-Shepparton Road at Kaarimba in October 2025, killing her at the scene. O'Brien will be eligible for parole in December 2031. He was also fined $1,200 and disqualified from driving for five years.
A man who believed he was a reincarnation of racing legend Peter Brock has been sentenced to four years and 10 months in jail. Giriwa May, high on drugs, rammed a police car last June and then drove a stolen Landcruiser through the entrance of the Northland Shopping Centre in Preston. Judge Stewart Bayles said people could have been killed, and witnesses described shoppers screaming and crawling to escape. No one was hurt, though the damage was estimated at about $145,000.
Tasmania Police charged four drivers with driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs over the weekend of 9 to 11 October 2026. A 64-year-old Forest woman returned a reading of 0.239 and will appear in Smithton Magistrates Court. A 38-year-old unlicensed Spreyton man, reported for erratic driving on the Bass Highway, returned 0.151 and was disqualified for two years. Three other disqualified or unlicensed drivers were also detected. A 17-year-old who evaded a breath test in Burnie was arrested and his vehicle seized for three months. Police urged drivers to rethink driving after drinking or taking drugs.
South Australia Police have renewed their plea for road safety after two people died and 13 were seriously injured in crashes over the Labour Day long weekend. The fatalities occurred in separate incidents at Virginia and Paracombe, while serious crashes were also reported at Port Wakefield and Woodside. Police detected 651 speeding offences, 61 positive alcohol tests, and 31 positive drug tests during the operation, issuing 83 Immediate Loss of Licence notices. Acting Officer in Charge of Traffic Services Branch, Inspector Mark Atkinson, urged all road users to take responsibility for their actions and make safer choices.
Queensland police detected 2273 traffic offences in the North Coast region during a spring school holiday road safety blitz, including 185 drink drivers, 83 drug drivers and 1319 speeding offences. Statewide, officers issued 13,400 infringement notices, conducted 118,000 breath tests and 1733 drug tests, detecting 370 drug-impaired drivers. Police warned motorists to take extra care around school zones as children returned to school. A 19-year-old man was charged with speeding at 179km/h in an 80km/h zone, while a 41-year-old man was caught with a blood alcohol level more than five times the legal limit.
