By Mitchell Clarke
A 26-year-old alleged drug driver managed to accumulate a whopping 56 demerit points before he was sprung by police.
Cardinia Highway Patrol officers intercepted a Volkswagen Golf in Berwick at about 8am on Friday 17 July, after first noticing the vehicle in Beaconsfield.
The vehicle was detected through the use of ANPR technology – a system which scans number plates and allows officers to safely and quickly identify motorists committing road safety breaches.
The custom built cameras and software – which identify registration number plates and then makes checks against relevant databases – have been around for years but have become increasingly utilised by Highway Patrol units.
The driver was eventually pulled over by officers in Berwick and was found to have a suspended probationary license.
According to police, the driver was aware of his cancelled license but still continued to drive.
To make matters worse, the 26-year-old had failed to display his P plates before also allegedly returning a positive result for methylamphetamine.
His Volkswagen was impounded for 30 days at a cost of more than $1000 and he was issued a court date, where he’ll be asked to explain his actions to a magistrate.
“It’s always good to get these people off the road, whether they have 130 demerit points or six demerit points,” a Pakenham police spokesman said of the incident.
“It’s got nothing to do with how many demerit points they have, if they are suspended they shouldn’t be on the road.”
