How do you want to spend your Australia Day; in hospital, at a funeral, or enjoying it with family and friends? NSW Police are posing this question to road-users as Operation Safe Return begins, NSW Police say.
Last year, we tragically lost 384 lives on NSW roads. This year we have already lost 19 lives.
Of the 19 that have lost their lives 13 were drivers, two were pedestrians, three were motorcyclists and one was a passenger.
Preventing the needless loss of life is the focus of Operation Safe Return, which kicks off tomorrow morning.
Acting Commander of the Traffic and Highway Patrol Command, Assistant Commissioner Michael Corboy, is urging road users to obey road rules to get home safely to their family and friends.
"How do you want to spend your Australia Day?" Assistant Commissioner Corboy asked.
"I want to see everyone enjoying Australia Day and celebrating with family and friends, not visiting someone in hospital or arranging a loved one’s funeral.
"In 2016, 384 lives were lost on NSW roads, and we have now lost 19 lives since the start of the year.
"We need to work together to put a stop to this needless loss of life.
"Speeding is still the number one killer on our roads, and when it is coupled with drink-driving, fatigue, distraction, or not wearing a seatbelt, the consequences are disastrous.
"Throughout Operation Safe Return, you will see more police on the roads targeting speeding, drink driving, seatbelts, fatigue and driver distraction.
"All we want is to see people return home safely this year. To make sure this happens we will be out in force taking licences off those people who put themselves and others at risk," Assistant Commissioner Corboy said.
Centre for Road Safety Executive Director, Bernard Carlon, urged all road users to look out for their mates this Australia Day and help drive the state’s road toll Towards Zero.
"This should be a time of celebration spent with mates and loved ones, so we are calling on all road users to watch out for each other so that no-one has to go through the heartbreak and devastation of losing someone they care about," Mr Carlon said.
"Last Australia Day long weekend we lost six people on our roads; that’s six too many.
"The only acceptable road toll this long weekend is zero, because every death on our roads represents a mother, father, son, daughter or mate lost far too soon."
Operation Safe Return, the Australia Day road safety enforcement campaign, starts at 12.01am tomorrow and concludes at 11.59pm on Sunday (29 January 2017).
Double demerits will be in force throughout the period for speeding, seatbelt, mobile phone and motorcycle helmet offences.
During the operation police want road users to think about the #Five2Arrive; five simple tips for road users in order to arrive home safely:
1. Don’t speed
2. Don’t drink and drive
3. Wear a seatbelt
4. Put your phone away, and
5. Take regular breaks.
