Leadfoots ‘speeding to morgue’

THE Gold Coast’s top traffic cop has blasted motorists speeding on the M1 as “arrogant” and dicing with death.

Police yesterday nabbed another hoon travelling over 170km/h on the Pacific Motorway, the fifth on the Gold Coast in just over a week.

“We see how quick things go wrong, just a slight lapse in judgment and there’s a fatality or something close to it,” Gold Coast traffic boss Senior Sergeant Bradyn Murphy said.

“This risk-taking behaviour kills people ... the next minute (the driver’s) in the morgue.

“It’s that arrogance with people who believe they can travel at such speeds and think nothing will go wrong. You see it every day in motor racing ... what makes you think you have better skills and can do this on a public highway?”

Two days ago a motorist was nabbed travelling 179km/h in a 110km/h zone on the M1 at Gaven.

In other instances on the M1, a motorcyclist was caught travelling at 183km/h at Yatala and three drivers were recorded doing 167km/h, 162km/h and 157km/h.

But a collaboration between monitored speeding cameras, PolAir and traffic response officers means there is little wiggle room for motorists to avoid hefty fines.

When a driver passes a mobile traffic camera fitted with sensors at high speed a Brisbane-based team is notified and a corresponding traffic response team is sent out to catch them.

Vandals looking to deface the cameras are also caught.

PolAir Queensland officerin-charge Acting Inspector Pam Leech said tactical flight officers used an on-board camera to detect cars travelling faster than others and endangering other motorists.

“Through police radio, the officers then request the assistance of a nearby general duties or traffic branch unit to intercept the vehicle,” she said.

“The officers do not just observe the speeding vehicles but also record the driving behaviour as evidence for prosecution purposes.”

Senior Sgt Murphy said PolAir was “always” patrolling.

Extra speed cameras had been placed around the Gold Coast, including stretches of the M1 and busy roads such as Smith and Bermuda streets.