Safe Speed Forums

Firstly a happy New year to all.

Now that I'm back in the land of computers I thought I'd share some of the festive highlights with you.

**Driver clocks 194 (120mph) in 100km/h (60mph) zone

A MOTORIST has been caught doing 194km/h in a 100km/h zone, prompting Queensland police to issue further calls for motorists to take care on the roads over Christmas.

Most motorists were heeding calls to slow down but there had been a number of incidents today that suggested a few drivers were flagrantly disobeying the Christmas road message, police said.

One motorist was caught doing 194km/h in a 100km/h area near Innisfail in the state's far north, while another was clocked at 174 km/h(108mph) in a 100 km/h zone near Roma, west of Brisbane.

An unlicensed motorist was caught doing 114 km/h in a 60km/h (40mph) zone in Nudgee, north of Brisbane, and another driver was detected doing 147km/h in a 100km/h zone on the Gympie Arterial Road at suburban Bald Hills.

Meanwhile, police figures show that a number of people have ignored the drink driving message over Christmas.

In Mackay, in the state's north, a 20-year-old man was found driving again 20 minutes following his release, after police had earlier stopped him and charged him with drink driving.

He was charged with a second count of drink driving as well as dangerous operation of a motor vehicle.

Another motorist was detected by police in Mackay with a blood alcohol reading today of 0.302. (Limit is 0.05)

In the south-eastern region, the highest blood alcohol reading over the Christmas period has been 0.202 – more than four times the legal limit.


**Motorcyclist clocked at 245km/h (152mph)

A MOTORCYCLIST caught doing 145km/h over the speed limit has led Queensland police to appeal for road users to slow down.

The rider was clocked travelling at 245km/h in a 100km/h zone near Ayr in the state's north yesterday, police said today.

"That sort of behaviour is totally dangerous," state Traffic Support Branch inspector John McCoomb said.

He said he expected the motorcyclist to face a dangerous driving charge.

At least 10 people a day in the past three days had been caught at 40km/h or more over the speed limit, risking heavy fines and even jail, he said.

He urged motorists to slow down.

Five people have died on Queensland roads so far over the holiday period, which Insp McCoomb said was a decrease on last year, in terms of fatalities and injury accidents.

But he said there was concern over speeding and drink-driving offences.

"What is of concern for us is the number of drink drivers that have been detected and particularly the speeding offenders," Insp McCoomb said.

One driver was breathalysed at 0.344, nearly six times the legal blood-alcohol limit.

On New Year's Day, 338 drink drivers were booked in the 24-hour period starting at midnight on December 31, a marked increase on the numbers last year.

"Unfortunately, we also had a couple of drivers being detected and then detected a second time in the same night," Insp McCoomb said.

A total of 18 people died on Queensland roads in the holiday period in 2003-2004.

**Police patrol left standing by driver of stolen Aston Martin 04.01.05

A police patrol was left almost "standing still" when it tried to stop a speeding motorist heading on to Auckland Harbour Bridge early today.

The reason the officers were left behind became clear when they checked the registration of the stolen vehicle -- it was a 2003 Aston Martin V12 Vanquish, which has a 512-horsepower engine.

With Aston Martin being the marque favoured by James Bond, Inspector Les Paterson said the patrol could be forgiven "for wondering where Piece Brosnan or Sean Connery were at 4am".

"The vehicle drove on to the motorway and headed south towards the harbour bridge," he said.

"To the surprise of the officers, it accelerated away from them like they were standing still."

The black Aston Martin, registered number BPN104, was one of only three of its type in New Zealand and was believed to be worth more than $200,000.

It was stolen from an inner city Auckland apartment yesterday morning.
Police appealed to members of the public to call them if they saw the vehicle.

Mr Paterson said there did not appear to be a link with the theft of two other luxury vehicles, a 2002 Porsche 996 and a 2003 Mercedes coupe, from a home on Auckland's North Shore last week.

Both those cars were recovered and a man was arrested in relation to that incident.

Our Police revealed that a third of all motorcycle fatalities for 2004 seemed to have killed themselves by speeding/taking risks on winding country roads. There is now consideration for chages to the law about who can ride what sized bike dependant on the years of riding or experience. Absolutely no mention was made that the other two thirds of riders were being killed (murdered?) by other road users who 'forgot to look, did see him' etc.

And finally in Adelaide a provisional driver was clocked doing 206kph (128 mph) in a 100kph (60mph) zone. When the patrols were able to catch up the driver was still doiung 174kph.

Well our road toll for 2004 may have been down but, as always, it is just a number in the lottery of life. The toll has never been reduced by the dedicated enforcement of speed restrictions, drink driver check points or speed cameras.

Luck, or lack of it, appears to have more influence on the total than any law enforcement agency.

May 2005 be a good year for all SAFE SPEED road users.

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The more abstract the truth is that you would teach, the more you have to seduce the senses to it. (Nietzche)