POLICE, including those attached to the Cootamundra Local Area Command, have launched a third targeted operation for the year in a bid to tackle the recent spike in the NSW road toll.
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The month-long Operation Saturation took effect at midnight Wednesday and runs through to September 28.
Since May, the NSW road toll has spiked, with an increase in pedestrians, passengers and older road users killed compared to the same time last year.
Deputy Premier and Minister for Police Troy Grant said that with 229 people killed on the state’s roads since the start of the year - 25 more than this time last year - authorities needed people to understand that speeding and unsafe behaviour kills and there are consequences for breaking the law.
“Despite our progress in reducing the number of lives lost on our roads over the last decade, I’m very concerned with current statistics,” he said.
“In human terms, an average of 15 lives have been lost every fortnight on our roads since the end of April - this simply must stop.
“We are pleading with everyone to slow down and obey the road rules – we do not want to see this tragic spike continue,” Mr Grant said.
Police will be targeting mobile phone use, fatigue, speeding, drug and drink driving and proper seat belt and restraint use.
They are calling on everyone using NSW roads to use common sense and err on the side of caution.
NSW Police Deputy Commissioner Catherine Burn, Specialist Operations, said Operation Saturation would tackle the most at-risk locations and road users.
“Officers will be out in force to ensure all road users are acting responsibly and behaving in a manner that ensures the safety of everyone utilizing our roads,” she said.
“Taking risks will likely lead to tragic consequences,” Deputy Commissioner Burn said.
Minister for Roads Duncan Gay said stupidity has no place on our roads – everyone needs to be sensible.
“Go easy on the accelerator, stay off the grog if you’re driving and if you’re tired pull over,” he said.