Christmas started badly for a 49-year-old Throsby man stopped by police on Sunday morning when he was found to have a blood alcohol reading three times the legal limit.
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He was one of two people to lose their licence on Christmas Day in Canberra. The other was a woman caught more than 50km/h above the speed limit on Horse Park Drive. She reportedly told officers she had been running late for work.
Two other drivers spent Christmas night in the watchhouse.
The Throsby man, driving a black Jeep Grand Cherokee, was pulled over on the Majura Parkway about 9.15am, and recorded a blood-alcohol level of 0.171.
As he holds an ACT heavy vehicle licence - which means he must have a zero blood alcohol reading - his right to drive was instantly suspended for 90 days. He will be summonsed to court at a later date.
One of the highest speeds detected was 131km/h by a woman in a grey Mazda in the 80km.h zone on Horse Park Drive, Kenny.
The 32-year-old woman produced a Tongan licence and informed police she was running late for work.
She was issued a speeding infringement including an $1841 fine for exceeding the speed limit by more than 45km/h. She will accrue 12 demerit points, which will remove her right to drive in Australia for three months.
Earlier on Christmas Day, the driver of a red Toyota was detected at 107km/h on Belconnen Way, which has a speed limit of 80km/h, about 8am. The 33-year-old man received an $800 fine and was given eight demerit points.
It was a similarly expensive Christmas for a 20-year-old Fraser man in a black VW Golf who was detected doing 107km/h in the 80km/h zone on the Barton Highway, Kaleen.
The vehicle was found to have expired registration and the driver's probationary licence had also expired. He was issued fines totaling $2794 and will not be able to renew his licence as it will be suspended for three months.
During a targeted traffic operation on Oaks Estate Road on Christmas morning, police conducted 235 roadside breath tests and four drug screens.
One driver, a 38-year-old man from Karabar, NSW, returned a positive drug result. He was taken into custody and after spending the night in the watch house, is due to appear in the ACT Magistrates Court on Boxing Day charged with drug driving, and driving while suspended.
Another driver with an appointment in the ACT Magistrates Court on Boxing Day is a 37-year-old Hughes man seen driving erratically on Gungahlin Drive on Christmas Day.
When the blue Ford Laser with expired registration was pulled over police checks found the driver had been disqualified from driving since 2007.
As the man showed signs of intoxication, he was taken into custody.
He faces charges of driving while disqualified, driving under the influence, using an unregistered vehicle, using an uninsured vehicle and breaching good behaviour obligations.
MORE COURT AND CRIME NEWS:
Earlier in the weekend, a rider on an orange Honda CBR motorbike was detected travelling at 125km/h, 45km/h faster than the posted speed limit on Bindubi St, Belconnen.
When stopped by police, the rider, a 19-year-old Aranda man, produced a learner licence - despite there not being an L plate displayed on the motorcycle. The man also returned a positive result for a prescribed drug.
Further police checks revealed the motorcycle was not listed on the ACT Road Transport Authority's list of approved motorcycles for learner riders. The man will face court in January.
Police are reminding all road users are reminded that double demerit points apply in the ACT until midnight on January 2.
