Motorists are being urged to wear their seatbelts after more than 1000 people were caught not wearing safety restraints over the Easter and Anzac Day long weekends. Operation ‘Go Slow,’ the ANZAC Day long weekend traffic operation, started at 12:01am on Thursday 24 April 2014 and concluded at 11:59pm last night (Sunday 27 April 2014). The operation was a high-visibility policing operation involving the Traffic and Highway Patrol Command and general duties police patrolling major traffic routes across the state. During the operation five people died on NSW’s roads (same as 2013), while there were 501 major crashes (down 136 ) resulting in 176 people being injured (down 38 from last year). Police conducted 173,038 breath tests (up 19,881 compared to 2013) resulting in 235 people being charged with drink-driving (down 77) while 387 people were caught not wearing seatbelts (up 5). A further 3086 people were issued infringement notices for speeding while police also issued 5054 infringements for other offences including mobile phone, helmet and registration offences. NSW Police Force’s Traffic and Highway Patrol Commander, Assistant Commissioner John Hartley, said he was disappointed to see so many people being caught not wearing seatbelts. “Over Easter we had 623 people found not wearing seatbelts while a further 387 people were caught this long weekend, that’s 1010 people caught over a nine day period. “We all know seatbelts save lives and it should be second nature to put one on when you get into a car but it appears this message is not getting through to some people. “If you don’t wear a seatbelt your chance of being seriously injured or killed in a crash significantly increases. “By not wearing a seatbelt you risk a $304 fine but pose an even greater risk to your own safety if you are involved in a crash,” Assistant Commissioner Hartley said. Examples of significant arrests and irresponsible driver behaviour include: • About 11pm, Sunday 27 April 2014, officers from Botany Bay Highway Patrol were patrolling Waterloo when they detected a stolen Daihatsu Applause being driven along Elizabeth Avenue. The vehicle was stopped and a 54-year-old man arrested. The man was subjected to a search and allegedly found in possession of cocaine. He was taken to Redfern Police Station where he was charged with drive conveyance taken without consent, possess prohibited drug and unlicensed driver and will appear in the Downing Centre Local Court on Monday 12 May 2014. • About 10am, Sunday 27 April 2014, Highway Patrol officers stopped a blue Mitsubishi Lancer as it travelled north on the Hume Highway at Coolac. Police spoke to the two occupants and conducted a search of the vehicle where they allegedly located an amount of cannabis, unknown tablets and a 9mm Beretta pistol. The 26-year-old man and 23-year-old woman were arrested and taken to Cootamundra Police Station where the man was charged with traffic offences and state false name while the woman was charged with drug offences. Both will appear in Cootamundra Local Court at a later date. Investigations regarding the found pistol are continuing. • About 7:35am, Sunday 27 April 2014, officers from Rose Bay Highway Patrol detected an unregistered vehicle being driven along William Street, Darlinghurst. Police stopped the car and submitted the female driver to a breath test. The 37-year-old woman allegedly returned a positive breath test and was arrested. She was taken to Kings Cross Police Station where she underwent a breath analysis allegedly returning a reading of 0.157. The woman, who was disqualified from driving until 2020, was charged with driving while disqualified and drive with high-range PCA. She will appear in the Downing Centre Local Court on Monday 19 May 2014. • At 4:15pm, Sunday 27 April 2014, Goulburn Highway Patrol allegedly detected a car travelling at 76km/h in a 60km/z zone on Cowper Street, Goulburn. The driver was stopped and spoken to by police where he allegedly provided false details to them on four occasions. He was arrested and taken to Goulburn Police Station where fingerprints confirmed his identity and revealed he was disqualified from driving until 2023. The 30-year-old man was charged with drive while disqualified and refused bail to appear in Goulburn Local Court today (Monday 28 April 2014). • At 8:20pm on Sunday 27 April 2014, highway patrol officers allegedly detected a car travelling at 142km/h in the 110km/h limit on the M4 motorway at Colyton. The 35-year-old man who was a provisional driver and restricted to a 90km/h speed limit was issued an infringement for exceed speed over 45km/h. Police also suspended his licence on the spot. • About 7:15am, Sunday 27 April 2014, Northern Beaches Highway Patrol were conducting RBT on the Pacific Highway at Lindfield when they stopped and spoke to a 40-year-old woman. She was submitted to a breath test and returned a positive result. The woman was arrested and later underwent a breath analysis allegedly returning a reading of 0.193. She was charged with driving with high-range PCA and will appear in Hornsby Local Court on Thursday 29 May 2014. • At 9pm on Sunday 27 April 2014, officers from Coonabarabran Highway Patrol allegedly detected a Holden Commodore travelling 170km/h in a 100km/h limit on the Newell Highway, south of Coonabarabran. The Holden was stopped and a 22-year-old Melbourne man issued an infringement for exceeding the speed over 45km/h. His licence was also suspended on the spot. • At 9pm, Sunday 27 April 2014, police from Manning/Great Lakes were conducting speed enforcement duties on the Pacific Highway at Moorland when they allegedly detected a red Land Rover travelling south at 152km/h in a 100km/h zone. The driver attempted to evade police by conducting a u-turn before losing control and mounting the median strip. The car was eventually stopped and a 25-year-old man issued a court attendance notice for driving in a manner dangerous, exceed speed over 45km/h and being an unlicensed driver. He will appear in Taree Local Court on Tuesday 3 June 2014. Police will allege at the time of the incident there were three passengers in the vehicle. STATEWIDE STATISTICS: Central Metropolitan Region Breath tests – 38,795 PCA Charges – 43 Speeding offences – 405 Seatbelt offences – 107 Other offences - 1151 Major crashes – 77 South-West Metropolitan Region Breath tests – 37,212 PCA Charges – 24 Speeding offences – 427 Seatbelt offences – 89 Other offences - 708 Major crashes – 93 North-West Metropolitan Region Breath tests – 24,094 PCA Charges – 47 Speeding offences – 440 Seatbelt offences – 53 Other offences - 878 Major crashes – 117 Northern Region Breath tests – 19,298 PCA Charges – 62 Speeding offences – 829 Seatbelt offences – 29 Other offences - 948 Major crashes – 105 Southern Region Breath tests – 39,731 PCA Charges – 30 Speeding offences – 567 Seatbelt offences – 40 Other offences - 639 Major crashes – 66 Western Region Breath tests – 11,677 PCA Charges – 29 Speeding offences – 276 Seatbelt offences – 52 Other offences - 322 Major crashes – 43 Traffic & Highway Patrol Command Breath tests – 2,231 PCA Charges – Not Available Speeding offences – 142 Seatbelt offences – 17 Other offences - 408 Major crashes – Not Available
Posted on: Mon, 28 Apr 2014 04:48:54 +0000
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