Police are urging drivers to avoid unnecessary risks to ensure everyone gets home safe as the long weekend road toll stands at five.
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Operation Slow Down, the state’s Labour Day weekend road safety campaign, started at 12.01am on Friday September 29, and will continue until 11.59pm tonight (Monday October 2).
Double demerits will be in place over the entire long-weekend for all speeding, mobile phone, seatbelt and motorcycle-helmet offences.
Day 3 of Operation Slow Down saw police issue 1,486 speeding infringement notices and 26 PCA charges were laid yesterday (Sunday 1 October 2017).
Acting Assistant Commissioner David Driver said as the long weekend winds down, motorists should plan their travel home wisely and obey the road rules.
“We have already seen a number drivers speeding, taking unnecessary risks and driving dangerously,” he said.
“Unfortunately there have been five deaths on our roads this long weekend, plus another two on private property.
“Our message is simple: slow down, choose your ride wisely and follow the road rules to ensure you and others return home safely.”
Some incidents of dangerous driving police have responded to during the operation include:
An 18-year-old man was issued an infringement notice after allegedly speeding on Schofields Road, The Ponds, just before 11.30pm. Police attached to Quakers Hill Highway Patrol will allege the P1 driver, from Rouse Hill, was detected travelling at 144 kilometres an hour on a 70km/h stretch of road.
Police attached to Coffs Harbour Highway Patrol stopped a 40-year-old man as part of speed enforcement duties on the Pacific Highway, Glenugie, about 6.30pm. The man was allegedly detected travelling 179km/h in a 100km/h zone. The Toormina man was issued an infringement notice for exceed speed over 45km/h, fined $2384 and had his licence suspended for six months.
A man was charged after allegedly leading police in a pursuit through Cudgera Creek, in the state’s north. About 1.50am, Byron Highway Patrol officers spotted a Mitsubishi ASX travelling along the Pacific Motorway, Cudgera Creek, not keeping left. Police will allege they activated warning lights to tell the vehicle to pull over but the driver instead crossed the centre grass median strip and exited the motorway using the Cudgera Creek northbound ramp.
A pursuit of the vehicle was commenced on Cudgera Creek Road and terminated due to the manner of driving. Police allege the car returned to the motorway and parked in one southbound lane before the driver and passenger fled the vehicle on foot. The two were arrested and taken to Tweed Heads Police Station. The 25-year-old male driver was charged with police pursuit, drive in a manner dangerous, never licensed person drive vehicle on road and two counts of receiving stolen property stolen outside the state.
A woman’s licence was suspended after a car collided with a gutter and came to rest against a light pole on Graham Hill Road, Narellan, at 1am. The 23-year-old woman was subjected to a roadside breath test which allegedly returned a positive result. She was arrested and taken to Narellan Police Station.
Over the course of operation slow down:
- Road toll: 5
- Breath tests conducted: 141,576
- PCA charges: 139
- Speed infringement notices: 4,588