SA police crack down on dangerous road use, including tailgating and dangerous lane changes

Is it failing to merge properly? Forgetting that thing called an indicator? Hogging the right-hand lane? Either way, police are cracking down.

SA Police is launching a new road safety operation targeting dangerous road use behaviour set to start at midnight Monday.

Operation Danger will target road users who drive in a dangerous manner or without due care, disobey traffic lights and signs, fail to keep left when required, follow too close, engage in dangerous lane changes, misuse their motor vehicle and drink and drug drive.

The operation will target both regional and metropolitan areas.

SAPOL’s officer in charge of the traffic services brand, superintendent Darren Fielke, said 21 lives have been lost this year so far due to dangerous behaviour on our roads.

“That’s 21 lives too many,” he said.

“Since this equates to 27 per cent of all lives lost in 2023, we know that dangerous road use is a significant issue and will be targeted with full force during this operation.”

Major Crash on the scene of a collision between a motor scooter and bus that left a women in a serious condition. Picture Dean Martin

Police and major crash attend the scene at 454 Mount Barker Road where the body of a cyclist was found on the road heading down the Eagle on the Hill road. (AAP/Emma Brasier)

Penalties and sanctions for offences that will be targeted during Operation Danger range from cautions, fines, vehicle impoundment, immediate loss of licence and imprisonment.

The operation is set to finish at midnight on September 10.

In the financial year 2022-2023, drivers on South Australian roads committed a significant number of offences that will be targeted during Operation Danger, including:

• 1629 detections of dangerous driving offences (extreme speed/manner dangerous/due care)

• 3058 detection of follow too close offences

• 7526 detections of disobeying traffic lights or failing to give way offences

• 473 detections of changing lanes dangerously offences

• 1181 detections of failing to keep left

• 3039 detections of tailgating offences

• 21 detections of misuse of motor vehicle (hoon driving) offences

This year there have been 78 lives lost and 564 serious injuries on South Australian roads, exceeding last year’s total of lives lost in only eight months.