While the festive season has now ended, motorists have been warned that police will continue to be targeting poor driver behaviour to help keep our road safe.

Acting Inspector Adrian Leary said that a total of 10,764 drivers were breath tested during Operation Safe Arrival over the festive season with 81 people charged with drink driving offences, 38 people charged with mobile phone offences, 678 people charged with speeding (not including speed camera detections) and zero fatalities.

“The vast majority of drivers did the right thing which is great to see, and it’s particularly pleasing that there were no fatalities and only 3 serious injuries during the period, compared to two fatalities and 6 serious injuries the previous year. However any fatality or serious injury is one too many, and we want drivers to stay safe on our roads in 2023,” he said.

“Operation Safe Arrival aims to ensure our roads are safe these holidays – we utilised marked and unmarked cars and motorbikes, reminding motorists to be safe and to follow the road rules.

“While the festive season is over, we’ll still be out in force, targeting risky driver behaviours like speeding, mobile phone use, and driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
“Importantly, keeping everyone safe on our roads is a mission for the whole community – not just police.

We have a community evidence portal on our website, where members of the public can submit footage of dangerous driving incidents to us for investigation.

We urge everyone to obey the rules, be patient on the roads, and get to their destination safely.