2 December 2011

1,800 drivers tested on the Barton Highway

2 December 2011 | johnboy

Operation RAID (Remove All Impaired Drivers), in which ACT Policing Traffic Operations and NSW Police are combining their efforts in a crackdown on alcohol and drug-impaired drivers, swung into action last night (Thursday, December 1) with more than 1800 motorists tested on the Barton Highway near Hall.

Over four hours from 4pm yesterday, police from both jurisdictions pooled their resources to “lock down” the highway and breath-test as many drivers as possible on the NSW-ACT border, with ACT Policing members focusing on the northbound traffic, and the Yass District NSW Highway Patrol checking the southbound traffic.

The combined results were:
1868 drivers tested;
1 positive breath-test for alcohol;
19 Traffic infringement Notices (TINs) issued;
13 defect notices issued (including on two heavy, articulated trucks);
3 unlicensed drivers detected;
1 disqualified driver detected;
2 suspended drivers detected (one summons issued).

This was a more intensive RAID “lockdown” than had previously been conducted, tripling the number of tests over last year’s activity.

ACT Policing, NSW Police and Victoria Police are participating in Operation RAID this year. Operation RAID will continue until Sunday, December 11.

[Courtesy ACT Policing]

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winter7:47 am 03 Dec 11

RAID fail only finding a single DUI in 1800 people.

screaming banshee9:44 pm 02 Dec 11

They’d have a much better shot at catching the drunks if they camp around the suburban taverns and check the patrons as they motor home on a friday evening.

Jethro8:09 pm 02 Dec 11

Solidarity said :

Loads of cars just pulled a U turn in the queue, so don’t be so sure they caught everyone…

I am 100% all for RBTs. The more of these people we get off the road, the better.

But if the RBTs are done in such a way that people have the option to turn around and avoid the test, I fail to see the point. The remarkably low number of people caught DUI during this border shutdown would suggest that this type of testing doesn’t work as drunks will simply turn around and avoid the test. Better to keep the border open whilst still testing lots of people (say 1 in 5 cars) and doing it over a period of weeks.

A one off tokenistic approach such as this is not going to change attitudes (or even catch drunks if they can simply chuck a U-ey).

But I guess ‘shutting down the border’ sounds important and gives the impression of things being done.

Henry827:29 pm 02 Dec 11

Solidarity said :

20 minutes for a normal person, took me an hour because I kept pulling over because the car kept overheating.

ok, i would be pretty pissed off. a few minutes yeah, but 20 minutes is a bit ridiculous imo.

KB19713:49 pm 02 Dec 11

qbngeek said :

majuraman said :

My maths are that 7 people busted is less than .05% of the 1800 odd taxpayers inconvenienced and held up on their lawful way about their legitimate business..balanced? appropriate? .in RBT the burden of proof is reversed, we are all presumed guilty until proven innocent..it sucks..and conditions us for other hard won freedoms to be eroded…f–k the police state, I say

I say f-k you. I am happy to be inconvienienced, and have been when they have done similar on Canberra Ave to Qbn, if it means that one drink driving tossbag is taken off the road. You don’t have a freedom to drink drive and put everyone else on the road at risk. I would like to see more of this, it will reduce people slipping through the net. I think it would be perfect on Tuggeranong Parkway where you can’t u-turn adn they get everyone.

As for the low hit rate, I would like to see them do it on Friday night or Saturday. Lets see what the numbers are then.

Absofarkinglutely!!

Mysteryman3:43 pm 02 Dec 11

qbngeek said :

majuraman said :

My maths are that 7 people busted is less than .05% of the 1800 odd taxpayers inconvenienced and held up on their lawful way about their legitimate business..balanced? appropriate? .in RBT the burden of proof is reversed, we are all presumed guilty until proven innocent..it sucks..and conditions us for other hard won freedoms to be eroded…f–k the police state, I say

I say f-k you. I am happy to be inconvienienced, and have been when they have done similar on Canberra Ave to Qbn, if it means that one drink driving tossbag is taken off the road. You don’t have a freedom to drink drive and put everyone else on the road at risk. I would like to see more of this, it will reduce people slipping through the net. I think it would be perfect on Tuggeranong Parkway where you can’t u-turn adn they get everyone.

As for the low hit rate, I would like to see them do it on Friday night or Saturday. Lets see what the numbers are then.

+1 to everything you said.

majuraman – what the hell are you talking about, “burden of proof”? Is drink driving one of the “hard won freedoms” that you think you’re entitled to? Get a clue.

qbngeek3:36 pm 02 Dec 11

majuraman said :

My maths are that 7 people busted is less than .05% of the 1800 odd taxpayers inconvenienced and held up on their lawful way about their legitimate business..balanced? appropriate? .in RBT the burden of proof is reversed, we are all presumed guilty until proven innocent..it sucks..and conditions us for other hard won freedoms to be eroded…f–k the police state, I say

I say f-k you. I am happy to be inconvienienced, and have been when they have done similar on Canberra Ave to Qbn, if it means that one drink driving tossbag is taken off the road. You don’t have a freedom to drink drive and put everyone else on the road at risk. I would like to see more of this, it will reduce people slipping through the net. I think it would be perfect on Tuggeranong Parkway where you can’t u-turn adn they get everyone.

As for the low hit rate, I would like to see them do it on Friday night or Saturday. Lets see what the numbers are then.

fgzk3:30 pm 02 Dec 11

Nothing random about an advertised road block. Could we please call it RBBT .

majuraman3:23 pm 02 Dec 11

My maths are that 7 people busted is less than .05% of the 1800 odd taxpayers inconvenienced and held up on their lawful way about their legitimate business..balanced? appropriate? .in RBT the burden of proof is reversed, we are all presumed guilty until proven innocent..it sucks..and conditions us for other hard won freedoms to be eroded…f–k the police state, I say

Gungahlin Al2:10 pm 02 Dec 11

I’m guessing the wait time was why people were turning around – taking a longer way to avoid roadworks if they didn’t know it was RBT?

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