Police are urging Racegoers to plan their trip ahead of time as they make their way to Mount Panorama this week for the annual Bathurst 1000 championship event, NSW Police say.
A high-visibility policing operation will be in place from Thursday 6 October to Sunday 9 October 2016, for the much-anticipated V8 Supercars event, the Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000.
General Duties officers from Chifley Local Area Command, and across Western Region, will be assisted by specialist officers and will focus on road safety as well as anti-social behaviour.
Western Region Commander, Assistant Commissioner Geoff McKechnie, urged racegoers to plan their journey to Mount Panorama ahead of time and take extra care on the road.
"We are expecting more than 200,000 visitors to Bathurst this weekend, so we’re urging motorists to be extremely vigilant on the roads and be mindful of their speed, fatigue and driving behaviour," Assistant Commissioner McKechnie said.
"Drivers must exercise patience, allow extra travel time, and expect delays particularly on the Great Western Highway and Bells Line of Road to accommodate the significant increase of traffic in the area.
"While crowd behaviour at the Bathurst 1000 has improved greatly in recent years, we’re continuing to see some motorists ignoring the road rules and risking their safety, and the safety of other drivers," Assistant Commissioner McKechnie said.
During last year’s operation, police conducted more than 3800 random breath tests and charged two drivers with drink-driving. Officers also issued 38 Traffic Infringement Notices (TINs), including 16 for speeding offences.
"I’d like to remind all motorists to leave the racing to the professionals and start the weekend off on a good note, allow for changes to traffic conditions and be considerate of other drivers," Assistant Commissioner McKechnie said.
"Traffic and Highway Patrol officers will also be out in force, conducting random drug and alcohol tests and targeting unsafe driver behaviour, to make sure everyone arrives at their destination safely."
For all special event traffic information, including road closures, special event clearways and live traffic reports, visit: www.livetraffic.com
"Our priority this weekend is to deliver a safe and family-friendly event for everyone to enjoy, while minimising any impact on the local community," Assistant Commissioner McKechnie said.
"We’ve been working closely with V8 Supercars, Bathurst Regional council, private security, and other agencies to make sure the 2016 event is memorable for all the right reasons.
"We will be maintaining a highly-visible presence in the local area and anyone caught causing trouble or breaking the law will be dealt with swiftly," Assistant Commissioner McKechnie said.
Further information about the event, including venue maps, transport and parking availability, can be found at: http://www.supercars.com/bathurst1000/
