Friday 29 January 2021

P-Plater Tests Positive to Cannabis Driving Almost 40 Kilometers Over Speed Limit at Warners Bay

BY ISABEL EVERET

Newcastle City Highway Patrol say they were disappointed in driver
behavior during the state wide Australia Day road safety operation.
Around 5.25am on Monday, Police were performing speed enforcement duties on the Inner City Bypass at Warners Bay. Police detected a Toyota Yaris travelling at 129km/h in the sign posted 90km/h zone. The vehicle was being driven by a 23-year-old man from Belmont South who was the holder of a P1 Provisional Licence. Police subjected the man to roadside testing which returned a positive reading to cannabis. He was issued with an infringement notice for exceeding the speed limit by more than 30km/h and had his licence suspended on the spot for 3 months. Police are awaiting the analysis of the oral fluid sample before taking action in relation to the positive cannabis reading.
In a second incident, around11:15am on Tuesday on the Newcastle Link Road at Wallsend, a P2 Provisional driver was detected at 131kmh in a 90kmh speed zone. He was also travelling in the right hand lane with no other traffic preventing him from occupying the left lanes and was also not displaying his P plates. The penalty notices issued to this driver totaled 14 demerit points, double the threshold for a P2 Licence holder. His driving privileges have been suspended for 3 months.