Police have charged 136 drivers with drink driving offences across the state on the first day of 2021.
About 4.50pm on New Year's Day (Friday 1 January 2021), police from Northern Beaches Traffic and Highway Patrol stopped a Holden Astra hatch on Pittwater Road, Narrabeen, for a random breath test.
The driver, a 51-year-old woman, returned a positive result and was taken to Dee Why Police Station where a breath analysis returned an alleged reading of 0.158.
The woman was charged with high-range PCA and her licence was suspended. She is due to appear at Manly Local Court on Wednesday 20 January 2021.
The state-wide road safety operation started at 12.01am last Thursday (24 December 2020) and concludes at 11.59pm on Sunday (3 January 2021).
Double-demerit points are in force throughout the period for speeding, seatbelt, mobile phone and motorcycle helmet offences.
NSW Police officers will also be targeting other high-risk driver behaviour, including the Four Ds; drink, drug, dangerous and distracted driving.
So far, 7906 speeding fines and 7196 infringement notices have been issued for other driving offences.
Other incidents of note on day nine of the operation include:
Just after 8am yesterday (Friday 1 January 2021), police stopped the driver of a Toyota passenger van at an RBT site on the Pacific Highway at Lindfield. Police observed three adult passengers and two children, aged seven and 16, were not wearing a seat belt. The three adult passengers were each issued a penalty notice for not wearing a seat belt. The driver, a 42-year-old man, from Baulkham Hills, was issued fines totalling $1821 which attracted 18 demerit points for having three unrestrained passengers, as well as two penalty notices for the unrestrained children.
About 8.30am, officers from Leichhardt Traffic and Highway Patrol were conducting speed enforcement duties on the Anzac Bridge, when they detected a 1965 Plymouth Belvedere allegedly travelling at 152km/h in an 80km/h zone. The driver, a 47-year-old man from Earlwood, was stopped and issued an infringement notice for exceed speed over 45 km/h and had his driver's licence suspended.
About 12pm, officers from Armidale Traffic and Highway Patrol were conducting speed enforcement duties on the New England Highway at Kentucky, when they detected a white Toyota Prado allegedly travelling at 151km/h in a 100km/h zone. The Victorian driver was issued an infringement notice for travelling at more than 45km/h over the limit and his licence was suspended.
About 7.15pm, officers from Kuring Gai Traffic and Highway Patrol detected a Ford sedan exceeding the speed limit by more than 45km/h on the Pacific Highway at Somersby. Police stopped and spoke with the driver, a 22-year-old man from Killarney Vale. Inquiries revealed the driver was a learner driver who was driving unaccompanied and was not displaying L plates. The man was issued infringement notices totalling $3682 for all offences, attracting 16 demerit points (double demerit provisions) and his licence was suspended.
Key statistics (progressive total):
Speed infringements: 7906
Breath tests: 170,753
PCA charges: 476
Major crashes: 601
Fatalities: 4
