Calls for P-plater ban on Cooloola beaches

A fed up beach driver has launched a petition to ban P platers from beach driving before their ‘hooning’ gets all drivers banned

A call to ban P platers form driving on Cooloola Coast beaches and other popular South East Queensland beaches is gaining momentum.

A FED-UP beach driver has launched a petition to ban provisional drivers from some of South East Queensland's top 4WD destinations, including Teewah Beach and Fraser Island.

Simon McDonald is taking aim at hooning behaviour on beaches from "a certain group of people who will ruin this for us and future generations".

 

A change.org petition has collected more than 280 signatures that support banning provisional driving on South East Queensland beaches.

 

As of midday Tuesday 282 people had signed the change.org petition that aims to collect 500 signatures to present to the Department of Transport and Main Roads and local councils.

Mr McDonald is calling for the ban to take effect at Teewah Beach, Fraser Island, Ocean Beach, Moreton Island and Stradbroke Island.

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"Every time I head up the beach with my family, I witness P plate drivers performing doughnuts, driving dangerously over the sand dunes, speeding, drink driving and travelling dangerously on or in vehicles (ie: not wearing seat belts, sitting in the trays of utes, or hanging out windows)," Mr McDonald stated on the petition.

 

Teewah Beach, Great Sandy National Park, Queensland.

 

"These drivers think they are invincible, and have the 'it wont happen to me mentality'. "Unfortunately, when they are driving like this, they are not only risking the lives of themselves, but the lives of every other beach goer, including our children."

The push comes a month after two tragedies unfolded in beaches in the greater region.

On August 23, Bray Park teen Tyreece Pilot, 18, was killed when the car he was passenger in rolled on Teewah Beach.

 

Tyreece Pilot was tragically killed in a crash on Teewah Beach last month. Picture: Facebook.

 

The driver of the Toyota Landcruiser, a 19-year-old Cashmere man, escaped with minor injuries.

Mr Pilot was pronounced deceased at the scene, after emergency services were able to access the remote location's camping ground.

One month earlier, on July 26, New South Wales footballer Deklan Gilmartin.was killed in a 4WD rollover on Fraser Island.

Deklan Gilmartin was killed on Fraser Island in July when the car he was driving rolled near Eli Creek.

The driver of the vehicle died at the scene on 75 Mile Beach, about 1.5km north of Eli Creek.

He said the move would prevent all vehicles being banned from the beach if illegal driving behaviour continued to be the problem that it was.

 

Police patrolling beaches in Cooloola.

"If you want to protect our ability to enjoy this great state and the destinations that it has to offer, then I urge you to support this petition."

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