On Monday highway patrol command officers from across the western region conducted 502 MDTs on motorists with 44 of them returning a positive reading.

"Taking illegal drugs before driving puts you at greater risk of injuring or killing yourself, your friends or other innocent people," officers have said in a statement.

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"Safe driving requires good judgement and sharp concentration. You also need to react quickly to changing situations on the road.

"The use of illicit drugs causes changes in the brain which can impair driving ability and increase crash risk."

Police officers said the effects of drug use depend on the type and concentration of the drug taken and can also vary widely between individuals.

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Also during the blitz, officers issued 50 infringements for traffic offences, 58 for speeding, and also conducted 546 random breath tests with one identified for low range PCA and another for mid range PCA.

So far this year there have been 15 fatal crashes in the region that have resulted in 16 deaths.

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"While this is seven crashes and nine deaths less than the same period last year, traffic and highway patrol officers will continue to focus on key road safety risks, such as drug driving, in order to drive these numbers down even further," the statement said.

The western region includes the following areas: Bathurst, Dubbo, Cowra, Lithgow, Mudgee, Nyngan, Orange, Parkes, Cobar, Inverell, Tamworth, Glen Innes, Gunnedah, Tenterfield, Narrabri, Moree, Amridale, Barrier, Walgett and Coonabarabran.