South Australia Police’s new low-visibility shadow patrol cars have caught 25 drug drivers and taken 24 motorists off the road during a major operation across the Riverland.
SAPOL launched the new fleet on Friday, July 10, to help officers detect offences including speeding, drink and drug driving, inattentive driving and dangerous driving.
Two of the new vehicles were deployed in the Riverland between July 13 and 16 as part of an operation conducted by the Road Policing Section.
During the operation, officers detected 25 drug drivers, issued 52 traffic expiation notices and defected 27 vehicles.
Police also issued 24 instant loss of licence notices and impounded two vehicles.
One of the more unusual incidents involved a disqualified driver who was stopped behind the wheel of a homemade vehicle constructed using the motor of a mobility gopher and the body of a child’s ride-in car.
The driver also returned a positive drug test. He was reported and will be summonsed to appear in court at a later date.
In another incident, officers detected a P-plate driver travelling at 127km/h despite provisional drivers being limited to 100km/h.
The driver also tested positive to cannabis and was issued with an expiation notice for speeding. He received a three-month instant loss of licence.
A traffic stop at Blanchetown also led to several people being arrested over outstanding warrants, while another man was arrested for allegedly breaching his bail.
Those arrested were scheduled to appear in the Elizabeth Magistrates Court, while the driver of the vehicle was permitted to continue towards Berri.
The shadow patrol cars feature dark markings that are less noticeable during daylight but become highly reflective when illuminated by headlights or emergency lights.
While the vehicles surprised several motorists, SAPOL said the fleet was positively received by the wider Riverland community, with people stopping to inspect and photograph the cars.
One driver caught using her phone was shocked to find a shadow patrol vehicle beside her, while a man detected without a seatbelt said, “I didn’t even see where you came from!”
