RESPONSIBLE behaviour displayed on Riverland roads – by local and visiting motorists – over the Easter weekend has been commended by a senior local police officer.
SAPOL units conducted road side alcohol and drug tests throughout the region from Thursday to Monday.
SAPOL Murray Mallee officer in charge Scott Denny said increased numbers of police helped ensure no deaths were recorded on Riverland roads.
“Quite often after long weekends, police in regional areas are reporting on bad behaviour or serious and fatal collisions, (but) this is not the case for the Murray Mallee this Easter,” Mr Denny said.
“We combined a lot of our resources this year to significantly increase our presence on our local roads, as well as the main roads leading in and out of the (area) to show motorists that we are in fact out in force.
“Fortunately we did not record any serious or fatal injury collisions this year, which is a great effort by not only our police… but also for motorists themselves.”
Mr Denny said SAPOL conducted more than 2900 road side tests in the region during the long weekend.
“Despite the high number of motorists stopped only three returned a positive reading for alcohol and one for driving with an illicit drug in their system,” he said.
“Eighteen motorists were detected speeding and all were issued with expiation notices at the time.”
Mr Denny said local and visiting boat operators were also a focus for police patrols during the long weekend.
“Officers from SAPOL’s Water Operations Unit were out in force also this weekend conducting routine patrols of the Riverland in and around Renmark,” he said.
“Fifty alcohol tests were conducted with one low-range result being recorded, (while) 24 drug tests were conducted with no positive returns.
“A total of nine expiations were issued for water safety offences…
“Given the number of water craft on the river this weekend, it was also pleasing to see that there were no major incidents and that most people did the right thing.”