Feet sticking out of a moving car’s open boot. That is what caught the attention of Queensland Police in Joyner, north of Brisbane, leading them to a 46-year-old man lying next to a fridge wedged into the back of a vehicle. He was fined more than $1,600 for the ride.
Body-worn footage released by police captured the moment an officer asked the man to step out, pointing out that his feet were visible from outside the car. The man copped a $322 fine for travelling in a part of the vehicle not meant for passengers, plus $1,295 and four demerit points for skipping his seatbelt. Behind the wheel was a 40-year-old Joyner woman, fined $690 and docked three demerit points for running a red arrow. Before she drove off, officers walked her through how to properly secure a load.
Why does a fridge in a boot matter so much to police? Because unsecured cargo does not stay put. It shifts, it falls, and on a busy road it can turn into a hazard for everyone nearby, not just the people in the car carrying it. That is the message behind the fine, and it is one Queensland Police have been repeating at checkpoints across the region.
Just two days of patrols in the South Brisbane District tell part of that story. Officers carried out 3,680 random breath tests, catching 23 drivers over the limit. Ninety-seven fines. Fifty-three arrests. Sixty-eight charges. The numbers add up fast when police widen their net.
Tougher rules are also on the way. Legislation passed last week introduces steeper penalties for drug driving, and from December, anyone caught with drugs in their saliva will face fines up to $4,835 and lose their licence for at least two months.
Meanwhile, out on Moreton Island, school holidays have brought a different kind of patrol. Ferries are unloading families ready for a break on the popular Moreton Bay getaway, and officers are waiting at the dock to run breath tests and check that vehicle access permits are current.
The activity forms part of the ongoing Operation Spring Break, aimed at cutting down on dangerous driving across the state. Inspector Mat Kelly struck a balanced tone on the effort, calling the island a favourite escape for holidaymakers while reminding visitors that road rules do not stop at the sand. Everyone’s safety on the island, he said, depends on people taking that seriously.
Published Date 27-September-2026