Sandstorm isn’t just a great song by Darude, it’s also the name of a police operation on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast that targeted reckless driving at Noosa North Shore and saw almost 300 fines issued.
Queensland Police Service (QPS) officers issued 272 traffic infringement notices (TINs) across an eight-day period including the Easter and Labour Day long weekends, with everybody from drug-users to parents with unrestrained children caught up in the operation.
A 19-year-old Wynnum West P-plater copped five TINs for a total of $6400 in fines and 16 demerit points, after he was allegedly found to be driving a defective vehicle under the influence of alcohol and – like his two passengers – not wearing a seatbelt.
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A 27-year-old Newtown man was also stung for multiple infringements, receiving eight demerit points and $2200 in fines for drinking alcohol while driving “in a way that makes unnecessary noise or smoke” and not wearing a seatbelt.
A 38-year-old Mooloolaba man was fined for driving his vehicle while a child under the age of four was sitting unrestrained on a passenger’s lap, costing him $1209 and four demerit points.
Of the 2356 random breath tests conducted as part of Operation Sandstorm, seven yielded positive results. Of the 195 random drug tests conducted, 10 people were found to be driving under the influence of drugs such as cannabis, methamphetamine and cocaine.
“A successful deployment to Noosa North Shore for us is one without crashes or deaths – that’s what we count as a good result,” Acting Senior Sergeant Keith Preston said.
“It’s disappointing to see so many people continue to have such disregard for the safety of themselves, their passengers and the other road and beach users by driving in a dangerous manner and in dangerous cars.
“It’s a privilege to drive on the beach and we need to treat it as we would driving on the road.
“No doubt our presence on the beach, enforcement action and educational engagements corrected the behaviours of many people and provided a safer environment for all people, families and children using the beach.”
While driving on the beach isn’t allowed in Victoria, there are multiple beaches in Queensland, New South Wales, the Northern Territory, Tasmania and Western Australia where vehicles have access.
South Australia is tightening up its laws, though it says it has no intention to ban all vehicles on its beaches.
A study by the University of the Sunshine Coast has found 4x4s are causing “unequivocal serious and widespread damage” to coastal dune ecosystems, with its lead author saying there’s no “safe level” of beach driving.
The Queensland Government has previously said it has no plan to ban driving on beaches in the Sunshine State, though the local council in Mackay has banned driving on the foreshore and beach on council-controlled land from Harbour Beach to East Point.
MORE: 4x4s causing ‘widespread damage’ to Australian beaches – study
MORE: A first timer’s guide to beach driving
