Lives put in danger as drivers ignore the rules

One week into Operation Safe Arrival and police are frustrated that drivers are still not getting the message.

People are still drinking and driving.

ONE week into Operation Safe Arrival and NSW Police remain frustrated that drivers are still not getting the message about responsible driving over the festive season.

Police have issued over 6,000 speeding infringements and over 350 PCA charges in the first seven days of Operation Safe Arrival, the annual road policing campaign for Christmas and New Year.

The operation runs from Friday December 20 until 11.59pm on New Year's Day and Traffic and Highway Patrol Commander, Assistant Commissioner Michael Corboy, said he hopes to see an improvement in driver behaviour.

"We've got unlicensed and disqualified drivers, unsupervised learner drivers and drug and alcohol-affected motorists getting behind the wheel and putting lives in danger," Assistant Commissioner Corboy said.

"Officers are also seeing people take risks with young children in the car, including not having infants properly restrained, and people driving at dangerous speeds, well over the limit.

"We want everyone to enjoy this time of year so please, think before you drive and always have safety top of mind when you are operating any vehicle."

 

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Some examples of irresponsible driver behaviour detected during the seventh day of Operation Safe Arrival (Thursday, December 26) include:

•A woman was prohibited from driving for 24 hours after allegedly testing positive in a roadside drug test. About 4.40pm, the 31-year-old was driving a Holden Commodore along Whitton Street Narrendera with two children in the car, one aged 25 days, when police stopped her vehicle. She was subject to a roadside oral fluid test that produced a positive detection for Methylamphetamine. The woman was arrested and taken to Narrandera Police Station for a secondary test that also allegedly tested positive. She was issued a Court Attendance Notice for drive with illicit drug present in oral fluid and will appear in court at a later date.

 

•About 11.05am, a 60-year-old man driving a Toyota Avalon was stopped on Fowler Road in Merrlyands for a random breath test. He allegedly returned a positive roadside reading before being arrested and taken to Merrylands Police Station where he allegedly returned a breath analysis reading of 0.162. He was issued a Field Court Attendance notice for high range PCA to appear in Parramatta Local Court on Tuesday, January 21.

 

•At 3.45pm, a 32-year-old man driving a Ford Falcon was stopped at Darby Falls Road in Cowra when police allegedly observed him travelling at excessive speed in a 100km/h zone. Police followed the vehicle and found it stopped in a nearby paddock, after leaving the road and crashing through a fence. The driver was subjected to a breath test that allegedly returned a positive result. He was arrested and taken to Cowra Police Station where a breath analysis returned an alleged reading of 0.180. He was charged with high range PCA and is due to appear in Cowra Local Court on Wednesday, January 22.