South Australia Police in collaboration with National Parks and Wildlife Service SA, conducted traffic operations in the Limestone Coast earlier this month.


Between Friday, November 1 and Tuesday, November 5 specific attention was given to national parks between Millicent and Robe which draw an influx of tourists during the week of the Melbourne Cup carnival.


A SAPOL spokesperson said reckless use of off-road vehicles and breaches of the National Parks and Wildlife Act are commonplace during this period.


The spokesperson said police provided static and mobile testing resulting in 949 breath tests being conducted with five drivers returning a blood alcohol reading over the legal limit.


“Police conducted 259 drug tests over the five-day period resulting in 17 drivers being detected for a drug driving offence,” the spokesperson said.


“Two vehicles were impounded, 10 vehicles were defected, and 16 drivers were issued an instant loss of licence.


“A total of 174 expiation notices were issued for various offences.


“Police would like to thank the local community for their ongoing support particularly over these busy periods.”


Meanwhile, a truck driver has been fined after being caught drink driving near Mount Gambier.


About 5.30pm on Wednesday police stopped a prime mover with a trailer in tow on Glenelg River Rd, Wye, for a mobile driver test.


The truck, under legislation is a prescribed vehicle, requiring the driver to have a zero-blood alcohol reading.


The driver, a 71-year-old Wye man, submitted to a breath test where he provided a positive result of 0.074.


The driver received an ‘on the spot’ fine for drink driving, to the value of $951.


He will also accrue four demerit points.


In other police news, a motorcycle rider was detected by police travelling at 100kph in a 60kph zone on Jubilee Highway West, Mount Gambier at 4.30pm on November 3.


The 16-year-old male learner rider was issued with an on-the-spot fine costing him $2416 and seven demerit points.


At 4.45pm the same day police stopped a Ram ute on The Esplanade, Robe and breath tested the driver who allegedly returned a reading of 0.105.


The driver, a 41-year-old man from Victoria, was reported for drink driving and was issued with a 6-month instant loss of licence.


He will be summoned to attend court at a later date.