Vehicles seized for street racing a sour end to National Road Safety Week

Two Canberra drivers have had their cars seized after being caught street racing over the weekend.

About 12.05am on Sunday, 22 November 2020, police observed a black Mitsubishi Evolution and a white Nissan Skyline travelling side-by-side at excessive speed southbound on Canberra Avenue.

Police estimate the vehicles were travelling at approximately 140km/h in the 80km/h zone.

The vehicles were subsequently stopped by police on Hindmarsh Drive, Symondson and seized.

Investigations into the incident remain ongoing.

Police again had a visible presence on Canberra’s roads across the weekend for National Road Safety Week.

Preliminary figures from the weekend show police detected 92 speeding drivers, as well as seven driving unregistered, three driving uninsured, two for disobeying a stop sign, one for not displaying P plates, and one for driving while using a mobile phone.

Officer in Charge of Road Policing, Detective acting Inspector Ivan Naspe said police also conducted 677 roadside breath tests across the weekend, with seven returning a positive screening for alcohol.

“While seven positive readings from close to seven hundred tests may sound like a low number, it’s still seven too many,” Detective acting Inspector Naspe said.

“One of these drivers returned a blood alcohol reading of .114 – to be out on public roads driving in such a state is not only irresponsible, but also reprehensibly dangerous.

“While National Road Safety Week has ended, the message remains everyday and police are focused on keeping our roads safe for all road users.

“I would also encourage the public to ask themselves ‘Who are you rushing to meet?’, and to work with police to help keep our roads safe by being responsible road users.”

Media enquiries

Police Media — (02) 5126 9070, act-police-media@afp.gov.au