Cairns man allegedly caught in New Years drink driving at Clermont

A man has been charged after allegedly being behind the wheel more than six times the legal limit in the early hours of New Year’s Day.

A man from Cairns was allegedly caught driving more than six times the legal limit in Clermont.

A man has booked himself a court date after he was allegedly busted driving more than six times the legal limit in a Central Queensland mining town.

About 1.50am on New Year’s Day Clermont police intercepted a Subaru outback wagon on Herschel Street after the driver allegedly disobeyed a stop sign.

The man alleged to be the driver, a 47-year-old from Cairns, the participated in a roadside breath test which allegedly returned a positive reading.

The man was taken back to the Clermont police station for a further breath analysis where he allegedly returned a reading of 0.301.

The man was charged with one count of driving under the influence of liquor and unlicensed driving and was issued a notice to appear in Clermont Magistrates Court on January 18.

The rate at which Queensland Police are nabbing drink drivers has more than doubled since 2019 with areas in the state’s far north, as well as the Gold Coast, among the worst for recorded offences.

Police say “significant drink driving readings” continue to be detected across the Mackay policing district.

“Regardless of the time of day or the location, all drivers should expect to be stopped and tested for alcohol or drugs by police,” a police spokesperson said.

Alleged high-range drink drivers have also been busted in the Capricornia district in the past week, with Rockhampton Police revealing a driver blew a BAC of .211 at McArthur Street, Moura while in Braithwaite Street, Yeppoon a driver blew .203 and two drivers at Agnes Water both blew BACs of .177 at Tom Jeffrey Memorial Park Road and Captain Cook Drive.