A month-long, high-visibility road safety enforcement operation by South Australia Police began at noon today.
The state-wide campaign, called Operation Home Safe, has a strong focus on offences linked with the Fatal Five – the factors directly linked with fatal and serious road crashes - in the wake of the state's rising road toll.
Inspector Damien Epps, the acting Officer in Charge of the Traffic Support Branch said road crashes cause grief, suffering and loss to not only the immediate family and friends of the victims, but to the entire community.
To date this year there have been 59 people killed in crashes on South Australia's roads compared with 38 at the same time last year.
"Every road crash is avoidable and the smallest of mistakes or indiscretions can cause loss of life or serious injury," he said.
"Police have a vital role to play in driver education and ensuring all road users understand their responsibilities.
"Every time a police officer has contact with a road user it can influence future behaviour and that is a role and responsibility we take very seriously.
"Operation Home Safe aims to enforce road safety legislation, educate road users, and increase driver awareness of road trauma and the impact that serious and fatal crashes have on families and communities."
Inspector Epps said this operation is critical to ensuring that the all road users are clearly aware of their part in responsible and safe road use.
"We want to make sure drivers, motorbike riders, cyclists and pedestrians all think about their behaviour and how it impacts other road users."
Operation Home Safe will see police conducting mobile and static driver testing, along with targeted traffic stops in every District and Local Service Area.
All operational personnel have been directed to pay attention to key arterial roads and regional highways.
Inspector Epps said of the deaths so far this year, about two-thirds have occurred in regional areas with the majority of those crashes (about 60 per cent) involving regional people, with the crash occurring within 50km of their home address.
"We made no apologies for taking a strong line with offences linked with the Fatal Five – drink/drug driving, speeding, distraction, seat belts and dangerous behaviours – we simply want people to get home safe."
NOTE: Operation Safe Home will run from noon on Friday 28 June 2019 until 12.59pm on Saturday 27 July 2019.
