Police ‘disappointed’ as first multanova in three years in the Pilbara catches 200 speeding drivers in one day

More than 200 motorists were caught speeding in just one day by a mobile camera brought up to the Pilbara following complaints to police about motorists’ antisocial driving habits. The multanova, the first to be wheeled out in the Pilbara for three years under Operation Yangala, snapped 201 drivers between Karratha and Dampier on its first day in the region last week. Pilbara District traffic co-ordinator Sergeant Ian Morris said the camera was placed in six different locations between Karratha and Dampier on its first day of the operation. “It had 3200 vehicles go through it and, unfortunately, 201 vehicles were in excess of the speed limit, which is about 7 per cent,” he said. “This is extremely high for a multanova and it’s really disappointing that many were over the speed limit. “Every day someone comes to us to complain about speeding and we’re not talking five or 10 kilometres over the limit, we’re talking dangerous and reckless speeds and we call that antisocial driving behaviour because it’s not normal and it won’t be tolerated.” Karratha police officer-in-charge Senior Sergeant Danial Strachan said police received complaints about motorists speeding on the Dampier Highway and the Burrup Peninsula road. “Anytime we’ve received these types of complaints, we like to get on the front foot and act on them, and we’ve been there in marked cars and unmarked cars and now we’ve requested assistance through the use of mobile speed cameras,” he said. “We just want people to drive safely, to drive at the speed limit and if you think you can get away with constantly speeding then think again because it’s going to cost you money.”