Police are concerned about the risks being taken by some drivers who are choosing to travel at almost double the speed limit on NSW roads.
Operation Safe Arrival, the State's Christmas/New Year road safety operation, started at 12.01am on Friday 21 December 2018, and will continue until 11.59pm on Tuesday 1 January 2019.
Double demerits will be in place over the entire long-weekend for all speeding, mobile phone, seatbelt and motorcycle-helmet offences.
Assistant Commissioner Michael Corboy of the Traffic & Highway Patrol Command, said he was still trying to comprehend the risks being taken by some drivers, particularly by men in their 20s.
"Right across the Operation Safe Arrival period I have noticed consistent number of younger men in their twenties being detected driving vehicles at high speed.
"Even this morning we had a man at almost double the speed limit on one of Sydney's major arterial man travelling well above the sign posted speed limit.
"Every time you take control of a vehicle there is a certain amount of risk involved and when you exceed the speed limit in such a dramatic way, that risk becomes exponential," Assistant Commissioner Corboy said.
"It is not rocket science - the faster you travel the worse any crash you are involved in is likely to be.
"Travelling at high speeds on our roads may increase your social media following but can reduce your life expectancy."
Some examples of inappropriate driver behaviour detected during Day 11 of Operation Safe Arrival include,
-At 10.24pm yesterday (31 December 2018), a 24-year-old man from Clyde in Victoria, was stopped on the Hume Highway at Goulburn after his car was detected travelling at 150km/h in a 110 km/h sign posted area. At the time the car was stopped, there were five unrestrained passengers. The driver was issued infringement notices for exceeding the speed limit by more than 30km/hstrained passengers. Driver issued TIN for ESL over 30 km/h $905 (10 points), also TIN issued for Drive with 4 or more passengers unrestrained $1422 (12 points).
A 21-year-old man was driving his VW Golf on the M4 at Merrylands when it was detected travelling at 194km/h. When the car was stopped the driver produced a provisional licence. He was arrested and returned to the Granville Police Station. A subsequent breath BAS completed 0.121. Further checks indicated that the drivers licence was in fact suspended. He was issued with a Field Court Attendance notice for MRPCA, Drive speed dangerous, exceed speed Over 45kph and drive whilst suspended. He will appear at the Parramatta Local Court on the 29 January 2019.
Key statistics (Cumulative total – started on 21 December 2018):
Total infringements issued (not speeding): 18,585
Speed infringements:10,826
Breath tests: 497,218
Drink-driving charges: 546
Lives lost: 6
