Man’s ridiculous excuse for driving 145km/h

'DON'T GET CARRIED AWAY': Police notice drivers more likely to put pedal to metal on country roads.

EXCESSIVE RURAL SPEEDING: Senior Constable Geoff Price is asking drivers not to get “carried away” speeding on regional roads. Picture: File

North Burnett police have urged drivers not to get carried away on rural roads, after they busted a man driving 145km/h on a highway.

Eidsvold police conducted mobile radar patrols along Eidsvold Theodore Road on Sunday, August 2 about 3.15pm, when they detected the speeding driver.

The 55-year-old Glenwood man was observed driving towards police and was clocked at 145km/h in a 100km/h zone.

Police said the driver was the sole occupant of the vehicle and offered the excuse that he "had a long drive ahead of him", and wanted to get to his destination as quickly as possible.

The man was issued with an on-the-spot fine of $1245, and received an immediate six-month licence suspension.

Senior Constable Geoff Price said drivers had the tendency to reach  excessive speeds while driving through isolated roads in the North Burnett.

"A lot of the times speeding occurs when there's limited traffic on our roads," he said.

"Drivers often get carried away, and believe because the roads are open and quiet, they can reach these excessive speeds.

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"They're always going to be at risk if they break the speed limits, whether it may be encountering cattle on the road, or changed traffic conditions."

Even though regional areas have smaller populations, rural road fatalities make up two thirds of the annual Australian road toll.

Research released by the Australian Road Safety Foundation to mark the third annual Rural Road Safety Month from August 1 to 31, revealed a staggering 78 per cent of city and regional drivers surveyed admitted to risky driver behaviour.

ARSF CEO Russell White said every Australian driver, whether city or regional-based, must take ownership of their role in reducing the rural road toll.

"Despite smaller population numbers, 835 people tragically lost their lives on regional roads last year, which shows that just one dangerous choice can have dire consequences," Mr White said.

"When it came to reasons for increasing risky behaviour on rural roads, not getting caught was the most common response, and it was most prevalent among regional drivers."

Rural Road Safety Month is a community-based awareness initiative that calls on everyday road users to jump in the driver's seat of regional road safety.

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