Road safety and traffic cop nabbed at 105km/h in 60km/h zone

A Queensland traffic cop who was the face of a road safety campaign has been caught driving nearly 50km/h over the speed limit.

An officer used by Queensland Police Service as the face of a road safety campaign – and whose job it is to enforce road safety – has been caught driving at nearly 50km/h over the speed limit.

Acting Sergeant Ethan Bailey from the Queensland Police Service’s Road Safety Unit pleaded guilty to travelling at 105km/h in a 60km/h zone in Brisbane’s outer west.

The officer worked out of the Upper Mt Gravatt Road Policing Unit at the time the offence was committed.

The Courier-Mail understands Acting Sgt Bailey was overtaking a group of cyclists at the time he was clocked speeding 45km over the limit.

Acting Sgt Bailey was quoted in a media article talking about the need to keep cyclists safe on Queensland roads in 2014.

Ethan Bailey as a constable

“I’m all for it. It’s road safety,” the then constable said.

“It’s a safety issue. They are only on a bike.

“A car is 1.5 tonnes at least, so in a bike versus a car (incident), a bike is not going to stand up too well.”

Acting Sgt Bailey’s 2014 comments came as the State Government passed “stay wider of the rider” laws, that saw motorists having to allow a minimum of a 1m gap when passing cyclists in a 60km/h or less speed zone and a gap of 1.5m when travelling more than 60km/h.

In October this year, Acting Sgt Bailey was sentenced in the Ipswich Magistrates Court after he pleaded guilty to disobeying the speed limit when he was detected by a Tru Cam device travelling at 105k/h along Mt Crosby Rd, in Mt Crosby.

Acting Sgt Bailey was off-duty at the time the offence was committed in April.

Ethan Bailey as a first-year constable

He was ordered to pay a fine of $1500, and was also hit with court costs of over $100.

The offence also carries an automatic six-month licence suspension.

According to QPS, Acting Sgt Bailey has been taken off duties associated with road safety enforcement and disciplined internally by the QPS.

Asked about the incident following a media conference yesterday, Acting Chief Superintendent Ray Rohweder said that, speaking generally, nobody was above the law.

“Road rules are for everybody to obey in Queensland,” he said.

“And whilst police have certain exemptions when they’re on duty, they are not exempt – like every other citizen – if they’re not on duty.”

Ethan Bailey as a first-year constable

QPS said it was disappointing when officers broke the law.

“Road safety remains a priority for the Queensland Police Service,” it said.

“It is disappointing when officers fail to reach the high standards the QPS and the community rightly expect of them.

“The officer was subject to an internal disciplinary investigation and is currently working in non-frontline duties and not performing duties associated with road enforcement.

“The matter was also dealt with in the courts.”

The QPS Ethical Standards Command, which conducts internal investigations into police behaviour in a bid to ensure community confidence in the QPS, referred the matter to the South Brisbane District which conducted an internal disciplinary investigation.

The investigation was “finalised with a local management resolution plan”.

The outcome of the internal investigation by QPS of Acting Sgt Bailey is not known.

Originally published as Road safety and traffic cop nabbed at 105km/h in 60km/h zone