Long weekend ‘stupidity’

Police have expressed surprise at poor driver behaviour in Geraldton and the Mid West during the WA Day long weekend.

In one incident, a P-plate driver was fined $1000 and lost her licence after she was clocked at 153km/h near Dongara on the WA Day long weekend.

The 17-year-old girl, from WA's South West, was also given 14 demerit points, as double demerits were in force.

Her speed was just below an offence leading to car seizure and a reckless driving charge.

Police tweeting about the incident described it as a “stupid move”.

The girl had just overtaken another vehicle in her Holden Astra on the Brand Highway at Bookara on Saturday afternoon when clocked.

“We’re telling people constantly to slow down and for a P-plater to do this kind of speed is just silly,” said Sergeant Peter Gerada, officer-in-charge of Mid West Gascoyne Traffic.

Police were also alarmed about the number of drink and drug-drivers caught at the weekend, despite a strong police presence on the region’s roads.

RELATED CONTENT: Woman charged with drink driving twice in one night

One of the drivers, a 36-year-old Geraldton woman, is facing charges after she tested positive to methamphetamine, and about 0.4g of the drug was found in her handbag.

She was pulled over for a routine car check in Geraldton on Saturday night.

“You would think that with 15 extra police up from Perth, five extra patrol cars on the roads and a booze bus that people would take more notice,” Sgt Gerada said.

About five drivers were also fined within a 10-minute period on Saturday for failing to stop at a stop sign.

Police were surprised at the number of drivers who slowed down but continued through the intersection of Sanford Street and Cathedral Avenue, despite a marked police car parked nearby.

“We asked them if they knew why we’d stopped them and they had no idea,” Sgt Gerada said.

“We got the impression they were thinking there’s no oncoming traffic, we’ve slowed down, it’s safe to go through –— treating it as if it was a give way intersection.

“But you must stop at a stop sign, for the safety of everyone involved.”