Stern warning from Great Southern police after spate of recent speeding offences and dangerous driving

An alarming spate of recent speeding offences has sparked warnings and a police crackdown to help curb fatalities and serious crashes in the Great Southern. There is an increased police presence on Great Southern roads with the region’s head of traffic urging people to “obey the law”. A 19-year-old P-plater was charged with reckless driving and had his vehicle impounded after he was clocked speeding at 158km/h in a 110km/h zone on Albany Highway, north of Kojonup recently. On August 28 a 45-year-old man was charged by police after they received calls regarding a vehicle driving erratically between Albany and Kojonup. The man was allegedly clocked travelling at 154km/h in a 110km/h zone, south of Williams. Great Southern police traffic officer-in-charge Sgt Derek Grimes said an increased police presence on the region’s roads is part of a wider State campaign to reduce crashes. Of the 158 road fatalities in WA in 2023, 17 were in the Great Southern district. Sgt Grimes has been frustrated by recent speeding incidents and said bad driver behaviours are the major factors in serious and fatal crashes. “We’re worried about the road toll, and we’re working to reduce it,” he said. “The main areas that we’re finding in driver behaviour is speeding, seat belts, fatigue, drink and drug-driving, and just generally distracted drivers, either with their phones or just not paying attention to what’s happening in front of them. “We’ve increased our presence on the roads, but we need the public to do their bit and start looking at their driving behaviour to reduce that road toll.” Sgt Grimes is also urging people to take into account weather conditions when they get behind the wheel, considering factors like water on the road. “Every time you are behind a wheel you are in control of that vehicle, and you need to drive responsibly to the conditions,” he said.