"COMPLETELY preventable" offences such as speeding, drink-driving and failing to wear a seatbelt were among those picked up by police in the Orana region who carried out the annual Australia Day long weekend road safety operation.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Western Region Highway Patrol Acting Inspector Peter McMenamin said officers from Sydney joined local cops to conduct thousands of random breath tests during Operation Safe Return, the four-day long weekend road safety enforcement campaign that began at 12.01am on Friday and ended at 11.59pm on Monday.
Double-demerit-point penalties were in force throughout the period for speeding, seatbelt and motorcycle helmet offences.
"In the Orana region, police carried out 2130 random breath tests. and there were 57 speeding infringements issued," Acting Inspector McMenamin said.
"There were 64 infringements issued for other offences including using mobile phones, disobeying traffic lights and signs, having arms outside windows and throwing cigarette butts from vehicles. Four seatbelt infringements were also issued in the Orana region."
For the entire Western Region, police conducted 21,099 random breath tests, issued 411 speeding infringements and 380 for other matters, while 57 seatbelt infringements were handed out.
"While it is a good thing the Orana region did not record any road fatalities during the operation, the downside is people are continuing to speed and not use seatbelts, especially given they are two of the main causal factors when it comes to being killed or seriously injured in a crash," Acting Inspector McMenamin said.
"The number of people who are putting themselves, their families and other road users at risk is astounding."
Meanwhile Acting Inspector McMenamin reminded motorists they needed to be aware that with children returning to school this week there would be more young pedestrians out on the road than there had been for some time.
"40km/h school zone conditions recommence and there are also penalties for talking on mobile phones in school zones," he said.
There were particular examples of bad behaviour on Western Region roads across the weekend.
On Friday, a 49-year-old man was charged with low-range drink-driving and speeding after officers from Lachlan Highway Patrol stopped him in Parkes just after 5.10pm when he was allegedly observed to be travelling 82km/h in a 50km/h zone with a child in the vehicle.
About 4.30pm the following day officers from Orana Highway Patrol stopped a rider after his motorcycle crossed a still active railway level crossing just after a train had passed by.
A subsequent check found the rider had been disqualified from driving until 2024 and was on a 12-month good behaviour bond for driving while disqualified.
The man was charged with drive while disqualified (second offence), possess driver licence by false statement and disobey warning device at level crossing. He was granted conditional bail to appear before Dubbo Local Court.
On day four of the operation (Monday), police stopped a Holden Commodore for a random breath test in John Street, Coonabarabran and saw a passenger behaving in a suspicious manner.
Police spoke to the passenger, an interstate truck driver who was being driven to his truck on the Newell Highway, and searched his bag, where they allegedly found five grams of a white powder (believed to be cocaine), a pipe, rolled-up paper and straws.
The 43-year-old from Tamworth, was arrested by police and will be charged pending the outcome of tests to determine the nature of the white powder.