NSW police from around the region have held a meeting in Dubbo in an attempt to address the shocking rise in road fatalities by employing new strategies.
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NSW Police Western Region Traffic Tactician Inspector Ben Macfarlane said the Western region has seen a sharp spike in fatalities compared to the same time period last year.
"We're seeing a spike in the fatalities, we're up to twenty four now in the Western Region which is seven over what we saw in the same time period last year," Inspector Macfarlane said.
Police are also seeing a proportional rise in the involvement of alcohol in the crashes they've seen.
"We're also seeing the involvement of people not wearing seat belts and alcohol in these fatalities rising in proportion."
The meeting in Dubbo drew together supervisors from across the Western region in order for police to get 'on the same page' with strategies and planning.
"Everyone has ideas, it's a matter of funneling them into one spot, getting together with the boss and seeing what's going to work and what isn't," Inspector Macfarlane said.
In the meantime, police officers are going to re-double their efforts to address the increase in driving fatalities.
"We'll keep doing what we always do, which is saturating trouble spots, any areas where we're seeing these spikes in fatalities and crashes, and restrict leave over Christmas and Easter all that sort of thing."
While the exact reason why people engage in dangerous driving behaviours continues to elude police, Inspector Macfarlane said there were common links between rural crashes that police are hopeful people can help prevent.
"Certainly, in some of those remote areas where people don't see the police often enough, I think they think they can get away with those driving behaviors, as we've said, we want people to look out for each other, so if they see their mates jumping into a car after having a few cans or whatever, they put a stop to it."
"At times, that is difficult, but people have to start somewhere," Inspector Macfarlane said.
"Look out for each other. Any sort of road trauma, it's almost like a stone in a pond, because it ripples out and it effects a lot of people: emergency services workers, family, of course and friends."
