Only a day after the road reopened, a wave of ACT drivers were busted speeding down the Clyde Mountain, with police clocking speeds of up to 142km/h in a 90km zone.
Police say the operation on the Kings Highway highlighted the need for a correlated demerit point system between NSW and the ACT.
In an operation on the notorious highway between 1pm and 3am on Friday, 12 people were caught speeding and one man was caught drink driving while on his way to pick up his child from the bus stop.
A 48-year-old man from Moruya Heads was caught doing 142km/h in a 90 zone at Currowan at about 5.26pm. He had his licence suspended on the spot.
Police also caught eight drivers doing between 114km/h and 135km/h in a 90 zone, and another driving at 136km/h in a 100 zone.
A P-plater is also lucky to be alive after he lost control and smashed his car into trees near Braidwood on Friday, just after 9pm. (See separate story.)
The number of speeders was no surprise to Batemans Bay Highway Patrol’s Sergeant Angus Duncombe.
“We expected it because of the fact the mountain has been closed for the week and, obviously with the re-opening on Thursday, it was back to normal,” he said.
Sgt Duncombe said Monaro police caught 20 people breaking the law on the Kings Highway on Sunday.
The majority of speeding drivers were from the ACT, Sgt Duncombe said, and while they have been fined, they do not lose any demerit points if they’re caught speeding on NSW roads.
Sgt Duncombe said Far South Coast and Monaro police were frustrated at the lack of correlation between NSW and ACT.
“From our end, it is frustrating the Far South Coast and Monaro Highway Patrol, especially when dealing with ACT drivers and not having any form of demerits for high speeds,” he said.
“The worst they get is a notice of suspension in our state.”
He said ACT drivers suspended in NSW could still drive in the ACT.
“At present we’re working with the Roads and Maritime Service to get some sort of reciprocation in ACT and NSW. They’re not being penalised and that’s the proposal we’ve put to the RMS,” he said.
“It just seems quite silly we have a reciprocation with other states and not the ACT.”
During their operation, police set up their radar and had two cars to intercept the speeders.
They breath-tested 104 drivers, and a 49-year-old man who was on his way to pick up his child from a bus stop, tested positive.
He was pulled up just after 4pm at Currowan, tested positive and his breath analysis read 0.085.
He was charged with drink driving and will appear before Batemans Bay Local Court on May 28.
Sgt Duncombe has also urged people to check when their licence expires, after a few people were caught out during random breath tests over the weekend, and to inform the Roads and Maritime Service of a change of address to receive expiry reminders.