WA Police Commissioner warns Leavers to ‘drive safe,’ police to descend on SW in ‘high numbers’

Wednesday at 03:48 AM

The State’s top cop has warned Leavers of a “significant and targeted” police presence when thousands of teenagers descend on the South West next week.

WA Police Commissioner Col Blanch urged young people travelling to destinations including Dunsborough between November 18 to 21 to ensure they “stay safe” and “take care on the roads”.

“Have a lot of fun but be safe, don’t take risks, stay in your group, stay with your friends and don’t drink and drive,” he said.

“If something goes wrong, find the nearest police officer and ask for their help.”

New P-plater restrictions under Tom’s Law, limiting drivers to one passenger, will not be in effect until December 1 — weeks after official leavers celebrations run early next week.

Mr Blanch said police would still be focused on ensuring nobody breached current — and unrestricted — provisional driver-passenger limits during Leavers.

Camera IconWA Police Commissioner Col Blanch speaks to the media outside the ABC on Wednesday. Credit: Kelsey Reid/The West Australian

He said young people piling into cars was “always a concern” for police.

“Our job is to keep people on the road safe, we will be policing down south in extraordinarily high police numbers,” he said.

“We’ll be out there in force, and we will make sure people take care on the roads.

“Our road policing will be very targeted, very focused, particularly on young drivers…. who have more than five in a car.

Tom’s Law will consider exemptions for immediate family members, if the additional passengers have held a licence for more than four years, or if necessary for the provisional driver’s employment.

It is understood police will deploy booze buses and speed cameras during Leavers.

Mr Blanch reaffirmed that drinking alcohol or drug taking would not be tolerated in designated Leavers zones.

“We’ll be on the lookout for behaviour and high-risk behaviour, and if we think something’s going to cause a danger to someone, we will take all enforcement action within the law against those who are down there to do something high risk,” he told ABC Radio.

Mr Blanch said a rise in road-related deaths was not deterring dangerous behaviour after a 22-year-old man was recently charged over doing a burnout in Oakford at the weekend.

Police allege an 11-month-old child was in the car and that the burnout was done as a tribute for fatal crash victim, Jady Turner.

“I do know that individual never held a license, I understand they have had significant enforcement action taken against them,” he said.

“What it does speak to is the thinking of some members of our community, just dangerous, reckless and stupid.”

“Despite all the safety messages, despite the tragedy on the road, and in this particular case, one of their friends has died (and for them to) still behave like that shows you how hard it is to get through some thick skulls.”

This year’s road toll sits at 157 — the worst since 2016.

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