NSW Police have concluded Operation RAID (Remove All Impaired Drivers) on NSW roads, following concerning road trauma trends across the state.
The operation detected 6,653 traffic offences in total.
The high-visibility state-wide policing operation commenced at 12.01am on Thursday (5 September 2024), ended at 4am yesterday (Sunday 8 September 2024) targeting road-related trauma through a whole-of-community approach.
Operation RAID saw an increase in officers on NSW roads targeting drink driving, drug driving and fatigue – three major contributors to the state's annual road toll.
During the operation, police conducted 120,093 Random Breath Tests and charged 211 drivers for PCA and DUI related offences. Of the 10,885 Random Drug Tests conducted, 470 drivers returned a positive result.
Further, police detected 1,895 speeding offences, 261 mobile phone or distraction related offences, and over 4,200 other driving offences.
Incidents of note include:
- About 11.45pm on Thursday 5 September 2024, officers attached to Brisbane Water Police District Traffic & Highway Patrol Command stopped a Hyundai sedan at a Random Breath Testing site on the Pacific Highway at Ourimbah. The 31-year-old female driver allegedly failed an oral fluid test and was detained. The passenger of the vehicle – a 32-year-old man – allegedly fled the scene on foot. Following a foot pursuit, the man was tasered and arrested with a 206-grams of a substance believed to be cocaine, 57 grams of methylamphetamine and over $4,000 in cash concealed in his pants. The man was taken to Wyong Police Station where he was charged with hinder or resist police in the execution of duty, two counts of supply prohibited drug >small & <=indictable quantity, and deal with property proceeds of crime < $100,000 & < $5000. He was refused bail and appeared before Wyong Local Court on Friday 6 September 2024.
- About 2am on Friday 6 September 2024, officers attached to Merrylands Police Area Command Traffic & Highway Patrol stopped a P2 provisional licence holder travelling over 30km/h above the speed limit on the Cumberland Highway at Smithfield. The driver – a 19-year-old woman – was subject to a Random Breath Test to which she allegedly tested positive. She was taken to Granville Police Station where she was subject to a secondary test which returned a reading of 0.207. The woman was subsequently charged with P2 driver exceed speed > 30 km/h – Lidar, and drive with high range PCA. She was granted conditional bail to appear in Parramatta Local Court on Tuesday 1 October 2024.
- About 11.20am on Friday 6 September 2024, officers stopped a vehicle for the purpose of a Random Breath Test on Steel Street in Redhead. Police informed the driver – a 17-year-old male – that they intended to search his vehicle, before the teenager allegedly fled the scene on foot. He was arrested a short time later on an adjacent street where he was searched and found to allegedly be in possession of 20 grams of cannabis, a small bag containing a white powder, a set of scales, a knuckle duster, a flick knife and $2,300 in cash. The teenager was taken to Belmont Police Station where he was charged with possess prohibited drug, possess or use a prohibited weapon without permit, custody of knife in public place and knowingly deal with proceeds of crime intent to conceal. He was granted strict conditional bail to appear in a Children's Court on Monday 16 September 2024.
- About 1.15am on Sunday 8 September 2024, officers attached to The Hills Police District Traffic & Highway Patrol Command attempted to stop a BMW sedan on Green Road in Kellyville allegedly driving 95km/h in a sign posted 60km/h area. Police stopped the vehicle a short time later and the driver – a 46-year-old man was subject to a Random Breath Test which allegedly returned a reading of 0.188. The man was issued an infringement for speeding and a Court Attendance Notice for drive with high range PCA, to appear in Parramatta Local Court on Wednesday 10 October 2024.
- About 1.20pm on Thursday 5 September, officers attached to Ku Ring Gai Police Area Command Traffic & Highway Patrol attempted to intercept a white Mercedes van on the Pacific Highway at Mt Colah following calls from the public that the driver was allegedly driving erratically. The driver – a 29-year-old man – was subject to Random Breath and Drug Tests, both which returned a negative result; however, subsequent sobriety tests and conversations with the man established he was fatigued and unfit to drive. Police issued the man with an infringement notice for his manner of driving and transported him to the nearest train station.
