Nagging 14-year-old caught behind the wheel
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Gobsmacked police stopped a slow-moving car in Dalmeny on Saturday night only to find it being driven by a 14-year-old girl.
The girl's 44-year-old mother was also in the car and told police she had simply given in to her daughter's nagging.
Due to her age, the child could only be given an unofficial warning but her mother received an infringement notice and a $762 fine.
“They were travelling about 30km below the posted speed limit," Sgt Duncombe said. "They had been going to pick the girl’s brother up.
“Her (the mother’s) attitude was totally irresponsible and it brings into question her fitness to hold a licence to drive on public roads.”
The incident was just one of a series of worrying offences on Eurobodalla roads last weekend.
Another happened at 12.54am on Sunday, when a P-plate driver was allegedly caught high range drink driving. Far South Coast police stopped the 19-year-old for a roadside breath test on Cullendulla Drive, Long Beach.
He was charged with high range drink driving after allegedly recording a reading of 0.182. He had his licence suspended and will appear in Batemans Bay Local Court on June 17.
However these two incidents bucked a disturbing trend in the shire which has seen older, more experienced drivers offending just as much or more than their younger counterparts.
Since last Thursday, roughly half the drivers stopped for serious traffic offences were in their 40s or 50s.
“There seems to be a perception young people are the main offenders but the facts are that many of these offenders are in their 40s and 50s, and should know better,” Batemans Bay Highway Patrol Sergeant Angus Duncombe said.
A 50-year-old driver on a P1 licence was breath-tested by a mobile RBT unit on South Head Road at Moruya at 9.20pm on Friday and was later charged with low-range drink driving. He will appear in Moruya Local Court.
Earlier, a 53-year-old male driver was stopped by an RBT unit in Evans Street Moruya, and returned a positive reading. He was arrested and taken to Moruya Police Station, and had his licence suspended.
A 59-year-old male driver attempted to avoid an RBT unit at South Head Road at Moruya on Friday night after being clocked by police doing 125km/h on the Princes Highway. He was stopped by police at Albert Street and produced a positive reading. He was arrested and charged at Moruya Police Station with mid-range drink driving and given a notice to attend Moruya Local Court.
A 53-year-old male driver was arrested after parking his car before an RBT unit on South Head Road on Sunday afternoon. He was spoken to by police and produced a positive reading when breath tested.
He was arrested and charged with low range drink driving at Moruya Police Station and will appear in Moruya Local Court.
However one of the worst weekend offences was allegedly committed by a 25-year-old, who returned a blood alcohol reading almost three times the legal limit.
Police in Batemans Bay stopped his vehicle on the Princes Highway, north Batemans Bay, at about 12.30am on Sunday, after allegedly detecting the driver speeding. The 25-year-old alleged recorded a blood alcohol reading of 0.144 and was charged with mid range PCA. His licence was suspended.