Driver caught 78km/h over the limit in Gladstone

A man who was disqualified from driving was caught doing 138km/h in a 60km/h zone last week

Cairns police officers patrol near the intersection of Shields Street and Sheridan Street, booking drivers for speeding and using mobile phones while driving. A driver is fined for exceeding the 40 kilometre per hour speed limit. PICTURE: BRENDAN RADKE

A DISQUALIFIED driver is regretting putting his foot down after being caught doing 138km/h in a 60km/h zone on Hanson Rd last week.

Calliope Road Policing Command Senior Sergeant Shaune English said this was just one of eight serious offences on Gladstone region roads in the past seven days.

"The highest speed recorded recently was 138km/h in a 60km/h zone on Hanson Rd, which was 78km/h over the speed limit," he said.

"The man received a ticket for $1245 and his licence was suspended for a further six months.

"We caught eight drivers last week who were either unlicensed, driving unregistered or uninsured cars, they were doing more than 40km/h over the speed limit, or they were high-range drink-driving."

More drivers are caught speeding closer to the coast, Snr-Sgt English said, purely due to population density.

"We spend half our time on the Bruce Highway, so obviously that's where we are going to get the most tickets," he said.

"The Bruce Highway, the Dawson Highway, all the feeder roads, anywhere you consider to be a minor arterial road, we catch people speeding on all of those as well as some of the smaller suburban streets."

Drivers have started to heed the warnings about speeding, Snr-Sgt English said, but still too many speeding tickets are being issued for the numbers of cars on the roads.

"We found in the early days of COVID we were actually seeing higher speeds, but I think in the last week or so it has settled down more as more drivers are getting on the road," he said.

"But we are still seeing just as many speeding tickets but they are not getting as high readings because they are getting caught behind other cars on the road."

With all students going back to school next week, Snr-Sgt English warned motorists that police would be patrolling school zones to ensure kids get to school safely.

So far this year Queensland has had 14 more fatal crashes on the roads than this time last year, but the Capricornia region had recorded less fatalities, Snr-Sgt English said.