Police reward good drivers on the road

Sensible drivers will be rewarded for their good road behaviour when a safety campaign kicks off in Broome next month.

Police have teamed up with the Broome RoadWise Committee to promote safe driving through their Good Ticket program.

The initiative aims to change road-user behaviour through positive reinforcement and rewarding good drivers, riders, cyclists or pedestrians with an opportunity to win prizes supplied by BRC.

While on patrol, police officers observing drivers doing the “right thing” on the road will conduct a random breath test and obtain details of the driver.

The details are then recorded on a Good Ticket, which will go into a draw held at the end of the fortnight, and winners will be announced on air by Spirit Radio.

During its launch last year, police issued a total of 167 Good Tickets from May to July.

Broome police traffic co-ordinator Sergeant Steve Kent said drivers were stopped for demonstrating a number of good habits.

These included travelling within the speed limit, correctly indicating at roundabouts, wearing bicycle and motorcycle helmets, and ensuring they were correctly fastened, wearing seatbelts and ensuring children were secured, stopping to make or receive phone calls and displaying P-plates correctly.

This year’s campaign will start on August 1 and run for a month.

After last year’s successful campaign, Sgt Kent said police hoped people would continue to drive safely and abide by the rules of the road.

“A key to its success is the contribution of Broome police staff, giving drivers an opportunity to be rewarded for good driving and is the positive police interaction with the community when issuing the Good Tickets.”

Sgt Kent said traffic offences were not about writing infringement notices, but about education.

He said other campaigns would be rolled out later in the year with continued support from the BRC.