NSW Police lay 720 drink-driving charges in Christmas/new year period breath-testing surge

A surge in roadside breath-testing has resulted in 720 drink-driving charges, including one for a man accused of trying to eat the testing device, during the busy Christmas/new year festive period.

A surge in breath-testing over the festive period has resulted in 720 drink-driving charges being laid across the state as part of a two-week blitz.

Days after this masthead revealed the number of roadside breath tests had fallen in the first 10 months of 2024, police said they had breath-tested 438,328 drivers - an increase of more than 120,000 from last year - during a surge to keep motorists safe on the state’s roads over the busy Christmas and new year break.

Statewide, NSW Police issued 9719 speeding infringements, laid 720 drink-driving charges, recorded 1725 positive roadside drug detections and attended 1009 major crashes.

Ten people died in crashes during 2024 Operation Christmas/New Year operation, four more when compared with 2023.

Acting Assistant Commissioner Tracy Chapman, the commander of Traffic and Highway Patrol Command, slammed motorists who continued to break the road rules and place others at risk.

NSW Police acting Assistant Commissioner Tracy Chapman. Picture: Rohan Kelly

She said the operation had unveiled a spike in speeding and drink-driving offences during the festive period.

“Police aren’t going to stop going after these drivers, so it is up to them to change their actions or get caught,” she said,

“Over 1700 drivers were detected driving with the presence of drugs in their system, close to 10,000 were speeding.

“These aren’t the numbers we want to see.”

Police detailed a range of incidents that included a man allegedly trying to eat a roadside breath-testing device, the discovery of more than 1.5 million cigarettes when a van was pulled over, and an off-duty officer accused of hooning.

A previous random breath-testing operation on Charles Hackett Dr in St Marys. Picture: David Swift

Incidents of note

- Cessnock Highway Patrol officers stopped a 32-year-old unaccompanied learner driver at Cliftleigh on December 20. The man allegedly tested positive for alcohol and cocaine.

- At 1am on December 21 Hawkesbury Highway Patrol cops pursued a 24-year-old man in a Mazda ute as he allegedly reached speeds of 110km/h in an 80km/h zone in McGraths Hill. He was arrested and allegedly returned a reading of 0.125.

- Another police pursuit across the Leumeah area took officers through the Minto, Ingleburn and Macquarie Fields areas, in southwest Sydney, on December 23 before the driver stopped and allegedly attempted to flee through nearby bush.

NSW Police conducted 438,328 breath tests across the state during the Christmas/New Year annual traffic operation.

- Yass Highway Patrol chased a 29-year-old man allegedly speeding in a Jeep SUV along the Hume Highway on Christmas Eve but stopped for safety reasons. Murray River Highway Patrol officers pursued the same man at Table Top, alleging he was speeding at more than 240km/h. Police stopped the Jeep with road spikes on East St, Albury, before arresting the man.

- A 55-year-old rider allegedly speeding at 130km/h in an 80km/h zone at Padstow Heights on Christmas Eve allegedly returned a positive blood alcohol reading of 0.153.

- Police on the Mid Coast allegedly found 1,584,000 cigarettes, 6000 vapes and $2870 cash with an estimated street value of more than $2.5m when they stopped a 57-year-old man in an Ivenco van on the Pacific Highway at Nabiac at 6.40am on Christmas Eve.

- A Ford ute driving “dangerously slow” on the The Crescent, Dee Why, around midnight on Christmas Day allegedly revealed a 37-year-old man with a 0.230 blood alcohol reading.

Police caught hundreds of alleged drink-drivers over the Christmas/New Year festive period. Picture: David Swift

- A 24-year-old man who allegedly tried to eat a roadside breath-testing device before throwing it at an officer after being stopped on Eagleview Road, Ingleburn, on December 28 was arrested and charged.

- A 59-year-old man caught allegedly speeding 20km/h over the limit was found to have had his driver’s licence disqualified in 1995 until 2069.

- A truckie driving a B-double combination truck was stopped on the Newell Highway at Dubbo on December 29 for a random breath test. The 37-year-old driver allegedly blew 0.084.

The Central East Highway Patrol unit conducting previous random drug testing in Glebe. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

- An off-duty officer attached to the northern region will face an internal review after allegedly hooning at 177km/h in Somersby on the Central Coast on December 30.

- On January, 1 a 29-year-old man in a Holden SUV was stopped by Hawkesbury Highway Patrol officers in Berkshire Park. The man allegedly recorded a blood alcohol reading of 0.207.

- A 17-year-old boy who allegedly failed to stop his motorcycle at a random breath test station is accused of leading police on a chase on Epping Rd, Marsfield West late on New Year’s Day. Police allege the boy was riding at 120km/h in a 70km/h zone before he lost control, mounted a kerb and crashed. NSW paramedics treated the boy for minor injuries before police charged him.