Road safety warning as drink driving offences soar on Gold Coast

There has been an astonishing surge in the number of Gold Coast motorists caught drink driving, putting themselves and others at risk. These are some of the many cases.

GOLD COAST drivers are back on the bottle, with shocking new statistics revealing police are again encountering high numbers of people drunk behind the wheel.

More than 2000 motorists have been charged by police with drink driving on the city’s roads so far this year.

The worst period was around Easter, with 350 people found to be over the limit in April – the highest monthly total since January 2016.

The figure at the same time last year was 197.

In the Nerang police division 60 drivers were nabbed for drink driving in April – the highest monthly figure ever recorded in the area.

The figures also show that when population increases are taken into account, the rate of offending on the Gold Coast has reached levels not seen since 2018.

While the figures were influenced by the reopening of borders, similar steep jumps were not seen in other Queensland policing districts.

Asher James Cornelius. Picture: Facebook

Lisa Sherlock.

The statistics come in the wake of a number of shocking recent cases including:

* Gold Coast dad Asher James Cornelius, 32, who blew almost four times the legal alcohol limit and was busted doing 105km/h in a 60 zone.

* 53-year-old Lisa Sherlock, who was found to be six times over the limit after crashing her Nissan X-Trail into a ditch.

* Coomera woman Erin Smitheram, who was found to be seven times over the limit when she crashed into parked cars at Hope Island.

* A 24-year-old scaffolder who was more than three times the legal alcohol limit when she almost ran over a pedestrian in Surfers Paradise.

* Plasterer Eldon Lawrence Langham, 41, who caused traffic chaos in Broadbeach while more than four times the legal blood-alcohol limit.

A recent RACQ survey found 13.3 per cent of people admitted to driving when they thought they may be over the legal blood alcohol limit, with the problem most prevalent in the 35-44 age group.

Spokesperson Tristan Vorias said that number was higher than in previous surveys.

“The findings from our road safety survey were startling,” Mr Vorias said.

“We really want drivers to reflect on these startling statistics and vow not to become one.

“We need to be driving like our life depends on it – because it does.”

Mr Vorias said Queensland’s road toll was significantly higher than at the same time last year and urged motorists to take care during the September school holidays.

“So far this year 214 people have been killed on the state’s roads, that’s 17 more than the same time last year,” Mr Vorias said.

“It’s incredibly concerning to see that Queensland is on track to have its worst road toll in more than a decade.

“We need to make sure we’re not getting behind the wheel drunk or tired and we must always wear a seatbelt and stick to the speed limit.”

The surge in drink driving offences comes despite Queensland having some of the second strictest penalties in Australia, with fines of up to $4025 and a possible nine months in prison for a first offence.

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