NSW Police Traffic and Highway Patrol officers have been out in force since midnight conducting random breath tests (RBT) and random drug tests (RDT), and targeting driver behaviour in a three-day state-wide operation.
The north coast has seen one if its highest road tolls on record so far this year – and one of the worst in the state.
Operation Drink Drive 2 will run through until 11.59pm on Saturday (November 5).
Over the course of the operation, police across the State will be maintaining high visibility, targeting dangerous driver behaviours including drink-driving, drug-driving, and speeding.
The overall aim of Operation Drink Drive 2 is to reduce the incidence of road trauma and stem the increasing road toll.
The current road toll stands at 332 lives lost in NSW this year, 42 more lives lost than this time last year.
Police say that between January and September this year, there have been 1,317 crashes where alcohol was a factor, and during the same period 12,738 have been charged with drink-driving offences.
Assistant commissioner Michael Corboy of the Traffic and Highway Patrol Command said, ‘the onus is on road users to be responsible on the roads and arrive home safely.’
‘We will have officers all over the State monitoring speeds, testing for drink-driving and drug-driving, and taking action against anyone who breaks the law.
‘There is absolutely no excuse for drink-driving. If you are caught, you will be charged, will face court, and could have your licence suspended on the spot.
‘We are not asking for much, we are simply asking for road-users to be responsible for their own actions and obey the law so that they can arrive home safely,’ assistant commissioner Corboy said.
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