Traffic and Highway Patrol Command, working alongside Local Area Command Officers, targeted high-risk road users yesterday during Operation Compliance 2, NSW Police say.
Throughout Wednesday, yesterday, officers focused on drivers not wearing seat belts, using mobile phones, and those ‘not keeping left’.
Assistant Commissioner John Hartley, Commander of the state’s Traffic and Highway Patrol Command, said it was high-risk behaviour that was costing lives on our roads.
"With the road toll currently at 216, 45 more deaths than this time last year, it is those not doing the right thing that is putting us all at risk."
"With seat belts being compulsory since 1971, it is surprising that some drivers still haven’t got the message. Despite changes to road rules in 2012, where mobile phone can be used in an approved cradle, police continue to see drivers holding phones up to their ears, or looking down whilst texting, taking their eyes off the road.
"Those not keeping left, despite significant signage on our highways, continue to impede the free flow of traffic and present significant risks to emergency services who need the right lane to get help to those that need it quickly," Assistant Commissioner Hartley said.
As a result of the operation, officers issued a total of 1438 infringements, which included;
324 infringements for drivers not wearing seat belts;
940 infringements for drivers using a mobile phone while driving;
174 infringements for drivers not keeping left;
Of significant concern to officers were two incidents at Cabramatta, where the drivers of two vehicles were engaged in playing a game on their mobile phones while driving.
About 9am at John St, a 17 year-old male provisional driver, with two younger passengers in the vehicle, was detected playing a game on a mobile phone.
About 11.30am and at the same location, a 17 year-old female provisional driver with a passenger in the vehicle was detected playing a game on her phone while driving.
In both cases, each driver was given an infringement notice by Cabramatta LAC Officers for ‘P1 licence holder use mobile phone whilst driving’ in the amount of $325, carrying 4 demerit points.
Assistant Commissioner Hartley said that in each case, those drivers were effectively putting themselves, their passengers, other road users, and their provisional licence, at great risk.
"For younger drivers to take their licence for granted, by playing a game on a phone while driving, suggests poor judgement not only on themselves, but also on those that taught them to drive. It is simply just not good enough to engage in this sort of behaviour.
"Now is the time for older siblings and parents of younger drivers to reinforce proper driving behaviour on our roads. If this isn’t done, police are there to ensure that it is done, potentially at the cost of their licence, and the penalty that applies, in the hope that we can prevent them being involved in a serious injury or fatal crash," Assistant Commissioner Hartley said.
Operation Compliance 2 comes after a previous operation on the 10 February 2016, where 2206 infringements were issued, which included 400 for seat belts, 1366 for school zone offences, and 440 for pedestrian crossing issues. Operation Compliance is conducted regularly throughout the year, focussing on high risk road safety issues.
