NSW Police detected more than 900 drivers allegedly under the influence of drugs or alcohol during a high-visibility statewide traffic operation last week.
Operation RAID (Remove All Impaired Drivers) commenced at 12.01am on last Thursday and concluded at 4am on Sunday, targeting people driving while affected by alcohol, drugs and fatigue.
During the operation, Police conducted more than 145,800 breath tests with 241 drink driving offences detected, and conducted 10,270 drug tests with 663 people returning positive samples.
While the operation focused on detecting drivers operating a vehicle impaired by alcohol, drugs or fatigue, the high-visibility operation saw police across the state issue more than 7,000 traffic infringement notices, including 1,823 for speed-related offences, 245 for mobile phone usage, and 111 restraint-related offences.
Police also attended 296 major crashes. Six people died on NSW roads – five of those in regional areas.
Minister for Police and Counter-terrorism, Yasmin Catley said the results from Operation RAID showed that people driving after consuming alcohol and or taking drugs remained a serious problem, and police would not hesitate to act when someone puts others at risk.
“Every time an officer stops a driver who has taken drugs or alcohol in breach of the law, they’re preventing a tragedy. These operations aren’t about statistics, they’re about keeping people alive,” Minister Catley said.
“Too many families have had their lives shattered because someone thought they were fine to drive when they weren’t. These are preventable incidents and we need people to take that responsibility seriously.
“Police will continue to run high-visibility operations right across the state. The safest choice is the simplest one: if you’re drinking, taking drugs or too tired, don’t get behind the wheel.”
Assistant Commissioner David Driver, Commander of Traffic and Highway Patrol, said Police were out in force during Operation RAID to deter people from driving after consuming alcohol, taking drugs or when tired.
“We saw six lives lost during the operation, which is a tragedy. We had many officers patrolling the roads to reduce risk and promote road safety,” Assistant Commissioner Driver said.
“We also detected a number of drivers travelling at very high speeds, which is also unacceptable.
“We continue to implore drivers to make the right decision and not undertake these dangerous driving behaviours. We urge people to think about other innocent road users, their families and those in your own car who could have their lives changed forever by reckless decisions.
“We will continue to run Operation RAID to reduce road trauma,” she said.
