Police are continually trying to address persistent road toll issues.

They send warnings out to the public via social and conventional media, they increase their numbers on the roads over notoriously busy times like public holidays, and still, motorists give the collective middle finger to the police and their efforts to bring down the road toll.

Police would be right to think those that drive are not meeting the expectations of the community for safer roads.

Why should those of us that want to use the roads on a public holiday put up with those who deliberately hoon around, disobeying traffic signs, drive drunk and speed?

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Road safety is paramount. It should be everyone's number one priority to arrive home safely to our families at the end of the day.

On the Queen's Birthday long weekend police caught hundreds of motorists in Western NSW endangering their lives and those of other road users.

Operation Stay Alert ran from Friday until Monday, and despite "saturation policing" on the region's roads, Western Region Traffic Tactician Inspector Ben Macfarlane said police remain disappointed with driver behaviour. And police know a large number of people who do the wrong thing are not bad people. Traffic and Highway Patrol Commander, Assistant Commissioner Michael Corboy said too many good people made bad choices when they took control of a vehicle.

"Driving is a privilege, not a right and there were some people we detected across the holidays who need to accept this," he said.

What will it take for people to slow down, drive sober and consider others on the road? Let's hope it is not losing someone you love, let's hope we all wake up and realise the most important thing about setting out on a road journey is to arrive at the other end alive.