NSW Highway Patrol police have been disappointed after the Australia Day long weekend, with a high number of dangerous driving incidents across NSW.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Over the long weekend, police were at work on 'Operation Australia Day 2024' - a three-day period of double demerits for speeding, mobile phone, seatbelt and helmet offences on NSW roads.
From January 25 to January 28, the operation was in effect - and police recorded a massive number of offences.
In the Southern Region, which includes Griffith, Wagga and Leeton, police recorded 960 speeding violations, 124 positive drug readings, and 34 major crashes with two fatalities recorded.
With four fatalities recorded across the state, the Southern Region had half of them.
In the Riverina police district, more drivers were busted drug-driving than drink-driving, although no road fatalities were recorded in the Riverina over the long weekend.
300 fines were issued across the district.
Riverina Highway Patrol Inspector Darren Moulds said that while it was good there were no fatalities across the police district, drink and drug-driving was still a problem.
"The overall behaviour of most motorists was very good," Inspector Moulds said.
"Police conducted 2500 random breath tests across the Riverina and 151 drug tests. Disappointingly there were five positive random breath tests and 19 positive drug tests."
Highway Patrol Commander, Assistant Commissioner Brett McFadden said that the end of double demerits wasn't a reason to drive recklessly, and promised that police would still be out on the streets.
"We will continue to have a zero-tolerance approach to law breakers," Assistant Commissioner McFadden said.
"The end of the double demerit operations isn't an excuse to forget the road rules, including the speed limit. Police across the state will continue to have a high-visibility presence, targeting speeding, fatigue, drink, drug, dangerous and distracted driving."