Almost 300 drivers have been breath-tested by police in the first hours of an Easter school holidays road safety operation.
Police from Coolum charged two people with drink-driving after they conducted 296 roadside breath tests on Friday.
Officers were conducting roadside breath-testing in a school zone on Peregian Springs Drive, Peregian Springs, about 3pm on Friday when a 34-year-old woman was allegedly detected drink-driving.
The woman, from Peregian Springs, was taken to Coolum Police Station for a secondary test, where she allegedly returned a breath alcohol concentration reading of 0.154 per cent.
She was charged with one count of high-range drink-driving, her driver’s licence was suspended and she is due to appear in the Maroochydore Magistrates Court on April 15.
Shortly after, a 49-year-old Peregian Springs man was also allegedly detected drink-driving.
He allegedly returned a reading of 0.053 per cent in a secondary test.
The man was charged with one count of driving over the general alcohol limit, his driver’s licence was suspended and he is due to appear in the Maroochydore Magistrates Court on May 5.
Police are stepping up roadside breath and drug testing during Operation X-Ray Easter, which runs from April 4-21.
Coolum Police Station officer in charge Senior Sergeant Hardy Wirth said it was disappointing to detect two drivers allegedly over the legal alcohol limit in a school zone, the day before school holidays.
“The message is simple: there is no excuse for drink or drug driving, we don’t want to see anyone’s holiday ending in tragedy,” Senior Sergeant Wirth said.
“If you are going to be enjoying drinks over the holidays, have a plan to get home – don’t risk your life and the lives of others behind the wheel.”
Sixty-five lives have been lost on Queensland roads so far this year, with four of them on the Sunshine Coast.
