A significant amount of non-highway patrol police resources have been poured into improving safety on NSW roads in a long-weekend free of any major incidents in the Hunter.
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NSW Police had at one stage doubled the number of breath tests they conducted compared to the Easter weekend in 2017 with more than 64,000 in a 24-hour period across the state at the start of the long-weekend.
The Easter traffic operation, during which double-demerits are in place, started at 12.01am on Thursday and will conclude at 11.59pm on Monday.
Police have been particularly targeting drivers for speeding, drink and drug-driving, mobile phone use and not wearing seatbelts. In the first three days of the operation, 172,425 breath tests around NSW had brought 113 drink-driving charges.
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Senior Sergeant Tony Grace from the Hunter highway patrol said on Sunday afternoon the extra resources had helped reduce the statewide road toll to just one.
“Basically, over this period compared to last year, there’s more of a focus by those non-highway patrol units on road safety,” Senior Sergeant Grace said.
“That’s been in response to the NSW road toll.”
The extra police presence, part of Operation Merret – an unorthodox and proactive approach to road policing aimed at educating and empowering the public to make the right decisions on NSW roads – had also seen 4944 speeding infringements and 619 people penalised for not using seatbelts, restraints or helmets properly over Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
Assistant Commissioner Michael Corboy, of the Traffic and Highway Patrol Command, said he was astounded by the number of people who had chosen not to take a basic safety precaution before getting behind the wheel.
“Wearing seatbelts has been compulsory in NSW since 1971,” he said.
“The benefits of being properly restrained or wearing helmets in the event of a crash have been well documented.”
As of late Sunday, the only long-weekend road fatality in NSW had come from an eight-vehicle crash, which occurred on Friday at Woodbine, near Campbelltown.
One man died and five others sustained injuries.
The circumstances surrounding the crash are being investigated.
