Get ‘back to basics’ on roads
for long weekend, drivers urged
POLICE are urging motorists to get “back to basics” learnt when they first got behind the wheel to reduce road trauma over the Queen’s Birthday long weekend.
Extra police will be on duty during the annual Operation Stay Alert road safety campaign, which begins at 12:01am tomorrow (Friday) and ends at 11:59pm Monday.
Officers will be conducting high visibility patrols, mobile and stationary random breath tests and random drug tests.
Double demerit points will be in force and apply for all speeding, seat belt and motorcycle helmet offences during this period.
Deputy Commissioner Nick Kaldas says motorists should focus on the “basics” of slowing down and driving to the road conditions.
“Drivers should focus on the simple tasks that were at the forefront of their minds when first getting their licence, including taking care, slowing down, driving to the road conditions and leaving plenty of time to travel to their destination,” he says.
“In our busy day-to-day lives we can sometimes forget what the main focus is when driving.
“When we start out and get our licence, we are alert to what is happening while driving, what the speed limit is, and what the weather conditions are like.
“This needs to be in the forefront of our minds with the increased number of cars on the roads over the long weekend.
“Crashes can result from drivers not focussing on the road or pushing themselves to meet deadlines and travel plans.
“Pedestrians are also urged to be aware of their surroundings when crossing roads and to make sure they wait for traffic lights and a safe time to cross.
“There were four deaths on our roads in NSW over this period last year.
“One death is one too many,” says Deputy Commissioner Kaldas.
“Police are urging motorists to ‘stay alert’ and by this we mean making sure you focus on the road this weekend.
“It is your main priority.
“The best news I could have as a deputy commissioner is that not one life has been lost on our roads this long weekend,” Deputy Commissioner Kaldas says.
Four people were killed on New South Wales roads during last year’s Operation Stay Alert.
Almost 153,000 breath tests were conducted, 383 drivers were charged with drink driving, 4460 were issued infringements for speeding and 7369 other offences were detected during the holiday long weekend.
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