It will be all hands on deck for the Mid North Coast Police District staff over the busy holiday period.
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"No one takes annual leave over this period," Mid North Coast Highway Patrol Sergeant Paul Dilley said.
Operation Safe Arrival started on Friday, December, 20 and ends at 11.59pm on New Year's Day Wednesday, January 1.
Double demerit points will be in force throughout the period for speeding, seatbelt, mobile phone and motorcycle helmet offences.
NSW Police officers will also be targeting other poor driver behaviour, including drink-and-drug-driving.
The Christmas holiday period is a heightened time for highway patrol monitoring. The district will be acting alongside Transport for NSW to investigate activity along the North Coast.
The message for people is if they choose to drive and break the law, there's a high chance they'll be caught by police.
Sgt Dilley said if people are going to have a drink, don't plan to drive.
"They might think they're ok to drive after two drinks, but there's a difference between tolerance and what's in their system," he said.
"People might think they're fine but not realise their cognitive functions have diminished."
According to the NSW Police website the amount of alcohol in a can, bottle or glass of an alcoholic drink is often expressed in terms of a standard drink. A standard drink in Australia contains 10g of alcohol.
"It is important to remember that alcohol is not always served as a standard drink," the website states.
"Pre-mixed spirits and free poured drinks often contain more than one standard drink."
Sgt Dilley said people can't rely on counting their drinks, as every person is different. People might have a medical condition which could influence their blood alcohol concentration reading.
Mid North Coast Police District will focus their efforts along the Pacific Highway, to assist local police in areas including Grafton and Raymond Terrace.
Recently fixed and portable cameras were introduced, which can identify drivers who are using mobile phones illegally.
Forty-five cameras across NSW will be introduced by the state government by the end of the year, at a cost of 88 million dollars.
Fatigue is a massive issue for drivers during the holidays.
According to NSW for Transport from 2013 to 2017, more people in NSW died in fatigue-related crashes than drink driving crashes.
In a warning to the public Sgt Dilley said there are purpose built stop over points, which people can take advantage of for a rest.
For more information on how to stay safe on the roads, please visit https://roadsafety.transport.nsw.gov.au/
Police tips for holiday security:
- Lock all cabin and caravan windows and doors. Tie down tent flaps prior to going out.
- Don't leave handbags, wallets and car keys in view.
- Don't leave surfboards, wetsuits or boogie boards out in the open.
- trailered boats are not a safe place for fishing gear.
- Lock away rods, reels, gps, tackle boxes and fuel tanks.
- Don't leave doors and windows unlocked at night.
- Secure motor vehicles. Only leave valuables in them as a last resort.
- Secure eskies and bikes inside your cabin. If you can't lock your annex, secure valuables to immovable object.
- Report all suspicious activity to police by calling 131 444 or 000 in an emergency.
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