A Canberra driver has lost his licence just one month after regaining it following a previous drink-driving offence, after he was caught driving more than double the speed limit during the long weekend.
The driver, a 32-year-old man, was one of 50 drivers who were caught speeding on Canberra roads during the four-day period where double demerits were in place.
The 32-year-old was caught driving 150km/h in a 60km/h zone on Baldwin Avenue in Kaleen about 12.30pm on Monday by officers in an unmarked police car.
ACT Road Policing acting Sergeant Andrew McKellar said the man was on a probationary licence after having served a six-month disqualification for drink driving.
"It could have ended in tragedy, and it was sheer luck that it didn't," acting Sergeant McKellar said.
"At that sort of speed, if there had been a collision, there would have been a fatality."
Of the 50 drivers caught speeding during the long-weekend period, 10 of those were detected at more than 30km/h above the speed limit.
Among them was a 17-year-old P-plate driver who was seen driving at 136km/h in a 100km/h zone on the Majura Parkway on Saturday night.
The teenager had only held a provisional licence for two months.
Another P-plater, a 19-year-old man, was caught at 138km/h in an 80km/h zone along Adelaide Avenue on Monday night.
All three speeding drivers were fined $1841 and will lose their licence for at least three months.
While police generally praised driver behaviour over the long weekend, acting Sergeant McKellar expressed concern over the number of drink and drug-driving offences during the four days of double demerits.
"For most drivers, [the Anzac Day long weekend] was a time of quiet reflection, however, there were a few drivers that chose to disobey the road rules and put other drivers at risk," he said.
Officers detected eight drivers under the influence of drugs while behind the wheel, while two were caught drink driving.
One of those was a 29-year-old woman who recorded a blood-alcohol level of .228, more than four times the legal limit.
The woman was caught by police after she was seen by officers driving without headlights along Jim Pike Avenue in Gordon about 10.40pm on Sunday.
She will face court on the drink-driving charges on July 22.
Acting Sergeant McKellar said it was disappointing that P-plate drivers made up a large proportion of people who were caught for speeding during the period of double demerits.
"P-plate drivers haven't had much time behind the wheel, and that inexperience attracts the danger," he said.
"It's not only putting lives at risk, but for P-platers, they only have four demerits on their licence, so it's easy to lose it."
