Holiday toll, PCAs down but police
still concerned at driver behaviour
SENIOR police remain concerned motorists are not heeding road safety messages, despite the Queen’s Birthday long weekend road toll being the lowest in a decade.
Two people were killed in separate crashes over the holiday period – two fewer than last year and the lowest road toll for the Queen’s Birthday weekend in the past decade.
Police charged 300 motorists with drink-driving offences, compared to 402 in 2011.
Officers issued 4047 speeding tickets (413 fewer than 2011) and 6905 infringement notices for other traffic offences (814 fewer than 2011).
Traffic and Highway Patrol Commander, Assistant Commissioner John Hartley, says it’s deeply disturbing more than 11,000 motorists were caught doing the wrong thing.
“There’s some evidence of an improvement in driver behaviour in these figures compared to last year, however, it’s of serious concern to me that there were still 11,252 motorists caught flouting the law over the long weekend,” says Assistant Commissioner Hartley.
“By playing up behind the wheel, each and every one those motorists was not only putting themselves at risk but every other road user.
“Given their brazen disregard for the law and the horrendous conditions on the roads over the long weekend, it’s incredible our road toll was not higher,” he says.
The long weekend traffic enforcement campaign, Operation Stay Alert, wrapped up at midnight last night (Monday).
State
