Queensland Police have launched an intensive Easter road safety operation across the Southern Region, targeting impaired driving, speeding and other high-risk behaviours. Operation Yankee Easter Break began on April 2 and will continue through April 24. The campaign includes roadside alcohol and drug testing, mobile patrols and overt and covert police activities focused on pedestrians, motorcyclists and other vulnerable road users. Police said the operation was prompted by the region’s 2025 Fatal Crash Assessment, which found that 59 per cent of fatal crashes involved drink- or drug-affected drivers and 37 per cent involved speeding. Queensland recorded 307 road deaths in 2025, including 53 in the Southern Region. As of April 2, 2026, 73 people had died on Queensland roads, including seven in the Darling Downs District, nine in Ipswich and one in the South West District. Police cited several recent enforcement actions, including a driver allegedly detected travelling at 142km/h in a 100km/h zone on the Cunningham Highway. The driver received a $1,919 fine and lost eight demerit points. In a separate case, a driver allegedly recorded a blood-alcohol concentration of 0.112 per cent and was charged with driving under the influence. Post navigation Three Teens Charged in Break-Ins Police Urge Holiday Child Safety