A man driving on a suspended licence has been fined close to $800 after he was detected speeding through a school zone during National Road Safety Week.    

About 11.30am on Thursday 9 May, police were conducting speed enforcement activities on Murranji Street, Hawker.    

Around this time, police detected a white Kia travelling at 76km/h in the signposted 40km/h school zone.  

The vehicle was stopped, with checks revealing the driver’s right to drive in the ACT had been suspended.  

This was one of 44 speeding offences detected by police during National Road Safety Week – 5-12 May – with 16 of these incidents detected in school zones.    

Across the period, police identified three negligent driving offences, eight instances of unlicenced driving or unaccompanied learner drivers, 20 unregistered vehicles, and 15 uninsured vehicles. Two drivers received infringements for burnout offences, with a further eight detected committing lane discipline offences (drive in bus lane, drive in bike lane, drive over line markings).   

Police also conducted 282 roadside breath tests (two positive results) and a further 129 roadside drug tests (three positive results).  

Sergeant Travis Mills from ACT Road Policing said that while initiatives such as National Road Safety Week were important, road safety was everyone’s responsibility all the year round. 

“As police, our road safety focus remains on keeping the community safe 365 days a year,” Sergeant Mills said.  

“While the figures from National Road Safety Week are somewhat encouraging, it is still extremely disappointing for police to see multiple drivers caught speeding in school zones, driving negligently, not obeying the road rules, and driving under the influence.  

“This behaviour is dangerous, and can lead to tragic consequences that no one wants to see, including police.

“If you break the road rules, it is only a matter of time before police catch up with you.”