POLICE are warning locals to stay safe on the roads and obey the rules as double demerits come into force for the festive season.
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From midnight on Thursday, Operation Safe Arrival will be in full swing meaning extra officers will hit the roads until midnight on January 1.
Double demerits will be in force for all speeding, seat-belt, mobile phone and motorcycle-helmet offences.
As Friday, December 21 is a designated school day in NSW, an additional demerit point on top of double demerits will apply to all relevant school zone offences committed on that day.
So far this year, 344 people have died on NSW roads based on Transport for NSW data.
The number of road fatalities in country regions increased 217–267 in 2014–17.
Traffic and Highway Patrol Command’s Assistant Commissioner Michael Corboy said back roads in rural areas will be a main target for police random breath testing.
“We will be travelling the same roads that you will this Christmas,” he said.
“Generally over Christmas we have looked at major thoroughfares getting in and out of Sydney, where a lot of crashes occur.
“This year it won’t be a question of which road will we be on, it will be a matter of when will we be on that stretch of road?”
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Motorists are also being reminded that since September 17 this year, an extra demerit point was added to the penalty for illegally using a mobile phone while driving.
This will add an additional two demerit points in double demerit periods resulting in a total of 10 demerit points for this offence.
Police are urging motorists to drive safely, travel to the conditions and take extra care on the roads this festive season.
