Drivers are being urged to think about the dangers of drinking and driving, with a number of higher range readings being recorded, on Day Three of Operation Slow Down, NSW Police say.
Operation Slow Down, the State’s Labour Day weekend road safety campaign, started at 12.01am on Friday 28 September 2018, and will continue until 11.59pm on Monday 1 October 2018.
Double demerits will be in place over the entire long-weekend for all speeding, mobile phone, seatbelt and motorcycle-helmet offences.
There will be more police on roads targeting drivers for dangerous behaviours that have lead to loss of life on our roads, including; speeding, drink and drug-driving, mobile phone use, and not wearing seatbelts.
Acting Assistant Commissioner Julie Middlemiss of the Traffic & Highway Patrol Command, said people were still not getting the drink driving message which was reflected in some of the higher range readings returned on Day Three of Operation SlowDown.
"While the number of people charged with drink driving is lower than for the same point in the operation last year – the higher range readings being recorded should worry everyone who drives a car in NSW," Assistant Commissioner Middlemiss said.
"People have to take responsibility when they get into a car. If you know you are going to have a drink then take a taxi, arrange a rideshare or get a lift with a friend."
Some examples of inappropriate driver behaviour detected during Day Three of Operation SlowDown include,
About 1:30pm yesterday (Sunday 30 September 2018, a 21 year old man, who was the holder of a Provisional P1 driver’s licence, was detected travelling at a speed of 116km/h in a 60km/h speed zone on Victoria Road, Rozelle, crossing the Iron Cove Bridge. When stopped the driver was issued an infringement notice for exceed speed limit over 45km/h and his licence was seized/suspended for a period of six months. The vehicle’s registration plates were also seized/cancelled for a period of three months
About 12.45am today (Monday 1 October 2018), a black Ford Territory being driven by a 37-year-old man was detected travelling at 120km/h in an 80km/h zone of the M1 at Wahroonga. The vehicle was stopped; and the driver was submitted to a roadside breath test which returned a positive result. He was arrested and taken to Hornsby Police Station where he underwent a breath analysis which returned a mid-range reading of 0.149. His NSW drives licence was suspended and a Court Attendance Notice was issued. The 37-year-old man will appear in Hornsby Local Court on 25 October 2018
Police conducting a random breath testing operation on Mitchell Parade at Mollymook. They stopped a car being driven by a 46-year-old Sydney woman. The roadside breath test returned a positive reading and yr old female from Sydney was stopped for SRBT. Positive breath test, with a BAS reading of: 0.218.
Key statistics (progressive total):
Speed infringements: 3923
Breath tests: 160,565
PCA charges: 183
Major crashes: 192
Fatalities: 4
