Police Reports
POLICE from Stanthorpe have been involved in pre-holiday traffic enforcement over the past couple of weeks performing increased random breath tests and interception of both light and heavy vehicles travelling through the area.
Over the coming weeks this enforcement of the fatal five will continue within the division in an attempt to stem the number of fatalities.
So far in 2013, 24 people have lost their lives due to traffic crashes in the Darling Downs Police District compared to nine fatalities for the same period last year – an increase of 15 deaths. Statistics indicate that driver distraction and in-attention, particularly mobile phones, are a contributing factor in 22 per cent of all car crashes and 71 per cent of all heavy vehicle crashes with the worst offenders being aged between 25 and 39 yrs.
Drug concerns
DRINK and drug driving are responsible for 30 per cent of all fatal accidents. The high numbers of people driving while in possession or having used drugs, including the drivers of heavy vehicles is of concern to police.
Stanthorpe officers this week charged nine drivers with drug-related offences during vehicle intercepts.
Six were drivers of heavy vehicles who were found in possession of amphetamines, the remaining three being drivers of light vehicles in possession of cannabis.
Cannabis seized
STANTHORPE Police this week charged another three people with drug offences after search warrants were executed on three premises in the area, netting cannabis and drug paraphernalia.
Refused entry, bail
A 24-YEAR-OLD local man was charged with various offences including trespass, resisting an authorised person after being refused entry, making threats and obstructing Police.
The incident occurred close to midnight Saturday when the male forced entry into the Central Hotel and then resisted his eviction.
Police transported the offender to the Stanthorpe Watchhouse then took him to Toowoomba after bail was refused.
Purse theft
A REMINDER, yet again, not to leave valuables in unlocked vehicles or shopping trolleys while attending to shopping. This follows the theft of a purse from a trolley at Stanthorpe IGA at 3.00pm last Friday.
Drive safely
WITH the school holidays starting at the end of the week it is timely to remind everyone to take extreme care when travelling on the roads to ensure they arrive at their destination safe and well. Keep in mind when setting off on holidays that a driver who goes without sleep for 17 hours exhibits the same decrease in ability as a person who has an alcohol concentration of .05 per cent.
A driver who is sleep deprived for 21 hours is the same as a driver with a reading of .15 per cent.
Not wearing a seatbelt makes 10 times more likely to be killed if the vehicle you are travelling in is involved in a collision and exceeding the speed limit by 5km/h in an urban area and 10km/h in a rural area doubles the risk of becoming a casualty if involved in a crash.
