Local Highway Patrol officers are disappointed some drivers are still ignoring police warnings about speeding and seat belts, following the long weekend’s high visibility campaign.
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Operation Safe Return started at 12.01am Friday and wrapped up at 11.59pm on Monday.
The long weekend was marred by tragedy after two people from Cootamundra were killed in a crash involving a motorcycle and a ute near Coolac on Sunday morning.
Sergeant James Prentice, from Cootamundra Local Area Command Highway Patrol, said while drivers seemed to be heeding the drink driving message, the number of people caught speeding and not properly restrained was well up on last years figures.
“We’re disappointed with some of the stats - compared to 2014, the message doesn’t seem to be getting across,” he said.
“There seems to be an increase across most fields and people are taking it upon themselves to speed... and there seems to be an increase in people not wearing their seatbelts.
Over the three day period, Cootamundra LAC police conducted 3790 breath tests, with only three returning a positive reading - none in Young.
But speeding offences were well up on 2014, with 102 people booked compared to just 42 at last year’s operation.
Meanwhile, 10 people were booked for not wearing a seatbelt, or wearing it incorrectly - a jump from just four the same time last year.
The region’s worst speeding offences came on the Hume Highway, Gundagai, with one driver clocked at 159km/h
He can expect an automatic six-month suspension and a fine of $2250.
Sergeant Prentice said police would now be turning their attention to the region’s back roads, after a spate of accidents since the new year.
Statewide, there was also a reduction in the number of motorists charged with drink-driving, but an increase in the number of drivers caught speeding.
Of the 215,465 people breath tested across NSW, 272 were booked for drink-driving, while 3585 drivers were booked for speeding.
“More than 3500 motorists risked their own lives, and those of fellow road users, by breaking the speed limit over the course of the last four days,” Superintendent Stuart Smith said.
“People need to realise that speed limits are set for a reason – exceeding them can have a devastating impact on your life. You could seriously injure or kill yourself, or another road user.
“Please, slow down and stick to the speed limit – if everyone did, we’d have far less people dying on our roads.”
