By Gabriella Payne
As Melbournians celebrated the end of a less-than-perfect 2020 at New Year’s Eve festivities across the city, the year brought more bad news for one law-breaking P-plater, who was caught breaching multiple road rules as the clock struck midnight.
Police officers from the Dandenong frontline tactical unit were patrolling Hallam Road in Hampton Park on Thursday 31 December 2020, close to midnight, when they witnessed a vehicle driving erratically.
After intercepting the vehicle on Bethune drive in Hampton Park, the officers discovered the male driver, who provided police with his P1 drivers licence, was breaking multiple road rules and probationary driver regulations.
The young driver was caught with three friends in his vehicle and was not displaying P plates, breaching the terms of his P1 licence and when breath tested, was found to be under the influence of alcohol, returning a positive result of 0.069.
The male driver from Craigieburn was issued three penalty notices by police shortly after midnight for overloading his car, not displaying P plates and for drink driving – which came with the added penalty of a six month licence disqualification.
While the male driver experienced a not-so-happy start to the new year, the streets were made a bit safer by police who will continue to be out breath testing and patrolling in the coming months.
