Sixty-three motorists in the Orana Local Area Command (LAC) have felt the wrath of police, earning double demerit points over the Easter long weekend.
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Western Region Traffic Tactician Inspector Peter McMenamin said Operation Tortoise – conducted between 12.01am on Thursday, April 13 and 11.59pm on Monday, April 17 – produced mixed results.
The results included one fatality following a single-vehicle crash near Cobar on April 15.
“Across the region we had some good results and some not so good,” he said.
“The fatal crash we had out west was a tragic event that significantly affected everybody involved.”
Overall in the Orana LAC police conducted nearly 2000 breath tests and issued 130 infringement notices; 60 for speeding offences and three for seatbelt offences.
Both seatbelt and speeding infringements attracted double demerit points during the operation period.
The figure adds to the state-wide total of 7687 drivers detected speeding during Operation Tortoise, despite pleas from police to drive responsibly.
Assistant Commissioner Michael Corboy, of the Traffic & Highway Patrol Command, labelled this figure as “ludicrous”.
Inspector McMenamin said overall police observed a decrease in the number of injury crashes, although the number of infringements issued for speeding and seatbelts was a disappointment.
“In general terms we are fairly happy, especially with the reduction of injury crashes across the region that was very pleasing,” he said.
Dubbo also rated well over the weekend, not producing any significant incidents.
Inspector McMenamin believes the increased police presence over the last two months has influenced the behaviour of motorists in the Orana LAC.
“I think the increased profile we’ve had throughout Operation West Force and other strategies we’ve had in place have played a key role in the reduction of crashes and the general behaviour of the motoring public,” he said.
“Therefore we’re now looking at continuing that high profile right through now until Operation Go Slow which finishes on Anzac Day.”
Operation Go Slow commences on Friday, April 21 and will run through until midnight on Tuesday, April 25.
“It’s a combination of continuing our high profile on main roads and highways as we’re expecting a significant traffic flow next weekend leading into the end of the holiday period,” Inspector McMenamin said.
“We will have high profile mobile and stationary RBTs in plan as we’re expecting a lot of people to be out and about.”