GCTOP Press Release:

"I have been doing it for ten years. I have had 4500 through and in that time I have had five people re-offend. Every year I give moneys to charity because I collect a fee which goes into the Police Citizens Youth Club account and then moneys are distributed to the community being the Ambulance, Local Air Sea Rescue Service, Tweed Hospital and Youth Refuges." – Jeff Togo

Road Accidents caused by drink driving and negligent driving are a common occurrence on Queensland roads. Every year hundreds of Queenslanders, particularly young people, are killed or seriously injured as a result. The reality is that many of these fatalities and injuries could be prevented through education and awareness of the dangers that driving poses. To combat this issue, a group of local professional volunteers have worked together to create and implement a traffic offenders program in the Coolangatta & Southport Magistrates Court that commenced on March 15th 2006.

The idea was inspired by the Tweed Traffic Offenders Program which has had tremendous success in reducing recidivism rates among its participants. The Gold Coast program, which has been endorsed by local magistrates, aims to reduce recidivism rates of both drink driving and disqualified driving offences and in turn save hundreds of human lives every year.

The Gold Coast Traffic Offenders Program is aimed primarily at first and second time drink driving offenders as well as UNSAFE DRIVERS;  PARTICULARLY SPEEDERS AND RECKLESS DRIVERS and can only be utilised once. A successfully completed program requires the offender to attend and participate in a one and a half hour lecture per week for five weeks to be held at the Tugun Community Village Hall. Lecturers will include volunteers from the Queensland Ambulance Service, the Queensland Fire Department, the Queensland Police, Queensland Main Roads Department, solicitors, medical personnel, psychologists, drug & alcohol counsellors and trauma counsellors.

The information provided will include an element of reality checks and impact methods to deter traffic offenders from re-offending, particularly when discussing the consequences of road accidents. The incentive to complete the program successfully is the possibility of being given a lighter sentence. However, if the participant does re-offend after being sentenced, the penalty may be much higher the second time round. 

In addition to helping offenders by providing the eduction and support needed to eliminate future traffic offending, the program also helps the wider community in two key ways. Firstly, by reducing the number of dangerous and drunk drivers on our roads, we are creating a much safer traffic environment for all. This ultimately has the potential to reduce the amount of fatalities and serious injuries that are caused by road accidents every year. Secondly, all participants will be required to pay an ninety-five dollar fee upon commencement.

This money will go directly back into the community via local charity organisations. The Tweed program under the direction of Mr Jeff Togo has successfully to date raised $400,000 all of which has been distributed amongst local charities such as the NSW Ambulance Service and Air Sea Rescue. The volunteer committee of the Gold Coast Traffic Offenders Program aim to mirror this monetary contribution and to distribute it amongst local Queensland charity organisations.

The program is the first of its kind in Queensland and although its initial setting will only be in the Coolangatta & Southport Magistrates Courts, the committee’s future intention is to have the program implemented state wide. The benefits of this program are far reaching and will result in great changes in the rates of traffic offending. However, the greatest benefit of all is that this program will save lives.