The State’s top traffic cop was in Dubbo yesterday to work with senior police officers from the western region to look for fresh ways to reduce the road toll.

In the coming weeks police will step up measures like the existing Operation Dusty, which brings Sydney police to the western region, and Assistant Commissioner Hartley said yesterday he would allocate funding, equipment and personnel for the task.

The death of four people and the injury of a further 11 in motor vehicle accidents last week partially prompted the action.

About 30 police officers from across the western region gathered at the Brisbane Street station to talk about ways to prevent the road toll rising.

Assistant Commissioner Hartley remained optimistic the force can improve the statistics, despite the number of fatalities this year.

“We certainly are positive we have made a difference, last year’s road toll across the whole of the State including western region was the lowest ever,” he said.

Yesterday’s meeting looked at information about the accidents that have occurred, before a strategy session took place.

“We’re looking at the western region road toll, why the injury and fatal crashes are so high compared to the rest of the State,” Assistant Commissioner Hartley said.

“We do know that a large percentage, 43 per cent or thereabouts, of people killed in the region are from outside the region, a lot of Queenslanders, so we know fatigue is probably a factor.

“A lot of people are overtaking when they shouldn’t be, (there’s) still locals not wearing seatbelts is another factor in killing people on the roads here in western region.

“So we’re trying to look at what we can do to make the roads safer out here and some of those things will be increased police activity, higher profile with what we’ve got and we’ll go from there.”