General News
31 July, 2026
Slow down
HIGHWAY patrol officers say road safety is at the forefront of their work, not the public’s perception they are only interested in raising revenue for the government.
With the flashing lights outside Cairns schools back on, so is Queensland Police’s reminder for motorists to slow down.
Just after 7.30am, Senior Constable Dan Whitling spent the first morning of the new school term patrolling school zones across Cairns, monitoring speeds, conducting enforcement and maintaining a visible presence to remind drivers that children are back on the roads.
“Each time the back-to-school period starts of each term, we’re all designated certain schools, so we’ll pretty much cover the entirety of Cairns over the course of a few days,” Senior Constable Whitling said.
“Probably more so, for obviously speed enforcement, but just that presence as well, just to remind people that school’s back, watch your speed, especially through those school zones.”
Cairns Local News joined Senior Constable Whitling for part of a morning shift, riding alongside highway patrol as officers monitored school traffic, responded to radio calls and positioned themselves at known traffic hotspots across the city.
He said, while school zones were a priority at the start of each term, the biggest road safety risks remained consistent throughout the year.
“It comes down to the obvious ones and the ones that we talk so much about – and that’s your speeding,” he said.
“Your drink and drug driving is another one.”
He said fatigue also remained a significant issue in Far North Queensland, particularly for motorists travelling long distances.
“People are doing long trips behind the wheel for hours at a time. That fatigue can sometimes affect their ability to drive safely.”
Inside the patrol vehicle, technology plays a significant role in identifying offending drivers. Alongside mobile radar units, highway patrol also uses Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) systems capable of reading registration plates in both directions of travel and alerting officers to issues, including unregistered vehicles and registered owners who may be unlicensed.
The morning also included a stop near a busy railway level crossing, where Queensland Police works with Queensland Rail to improve compliance.
Senior Constable Whitling said cameras installed at crossings meant motorists, who ignored flashing warning lights, could still be identified, even if officers were not present.
“Even if you don’t get caught on the day, there’s a good chance that you will be getting a phone call from highway patrol,” he said.
Mobile phone distraction remains another growing concern.
“People are becoming a little bit more strategic with the way they use their phones in cars,” he said.
“We know when somebody’s looking at their phone. We watch people’s eyes, and generally if their eyes are darting up and down from their lap to their windscreen, then that’s generally a sign that they’ve got their mobile phone out.”
Senior Constable Whitling said one of the biggest misconceptions about highway patrol was that officers were focused on raising revenue.
“We consider it road safety,” he said.
“We see the effects of, or the results of bad driving behaviours, more so speed.”
That perspective is shaped by what officers encounter after serious crashes.
Although specialist forensic crash investigators attend the most serious collisions, Senior Constable Whitling said highway patrol officers still experienced traumatic incidents and, at times, the difficult task of notifying families that a loved one would not be coming home.
“It only takes one,” he said.
“People need to understand that we see some of the worst of results from bad driving behaviours.
“We don’t want to go to those incidents where someone’s died, or we have to go and knock on someone’s door that one of their loved ones is not coming home.”
He said Queensland Police encouraged officers to seek support after traumatic incidents, but often colleagues who understood the job provided the greatest comfort.
“We’re definitely encouraged to talk. Definitely don’t bottle things up, no matter how big or small.”
His message to Cairns motorists was simple.
“We’re not out there to cause grief or to ruin people’s days, but we do have a job to do, and that’s road safety,” he said.
“We’re people too ... just encourage people to talk to us and treat us with the same respect that we’re treating them with.”
