NSW Police Easter warning as road deaths hit highest monthly toll since 2019
With the Easter long weekend approaching, NSW Police are urging drivers to stay safe after the road death toll in March soared to its highest level since 2019.
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Police are urging drivers to take extra care during the school holidays after March’s road death toll soared to 41, making it the deadliest month since 2019 and bringing the total road fatalities this year to 103.
The stark warning comes as police prepare to launch high-visibility operations for Easter and Anzac Day, aiming to curb what Deputy Commissioner Paul Pisanos described as a “senseless loss of life.”
“Last year in NSW there were 85 murders, however, four times as many people, 338, died on our roads. That is a senseless loss of life,“ he said.
“With the death last night of a man in Muswellbrook, 103 people have now died on NSW roads this year, that’s far too many families left without a son, father, daughter or mother, the road toll rips lives apart.”
Of this year’s fatalities, 45 were drivers, 17 passengers, 27 motorcyclists, nine pedestrians, and five cyclists.
Young adults and the elderly are among the most impacted, with 19 victims aged 26 to 35, 18 aged 76 to 95, and 17 aged 18 to 25.
Regional roads remain the most dangerous, with six fatalities each recorded on the Princes and Hume highways, and four on the Pacific Highway.
Additionally, NSW drivers have already accumulated more than 51,000 speeding offences, 3,350 drink-driving offences, and 5,200 illegal mobile phone offences have already been recorded this year.
Minister for Police and Counter-terrorism Yasmin Catley, said police will maintain a zero-tolerance approach to dangerous driving behaviour.
“Don’t make this a holiday to remember for all the wrong reasons, no one wants their long weekend to end with flashing lights, a court date or worse,” she said.
Assistant Commissioner David Driver, also weighed in on the situation and stressed the importance of driving to the conditions and reminded holiday travellers to factor in longer braking distances when carrying extra luggage.
“We need every road user – whether they’re a driver, passenger, motorcyclist, cyclist or pedestrian – to follow the road rules, not become complacent and to make smart choices,” he said.
Double demerits will kick in across NSW from April 17–21 and again April 24–27, as police target speeding, seatbelt breaches, illegal phone use and helmet offences in a holiday road blitz.
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