Police are appalled at drivers who continue to drink and drive as Operation Safe Return concludes, including a man charged with drink driving after a crash at Windsor yesterday.
Operation Safe Return, the annual road policing campaign for Australia Day, began at 12.01am on Friday 24 January 2020 and ended at 11.59pm yesterday (Monday 27 January 2020).
Double demerits were in force throughout the period for speeding, seatbelt, mobile phone and motorcycle helmet offences.
Throughout the operation, police conducted more than 190,000 random breath tests across the state and charged 316 people with drink-driving and nearly 5,000 people were caught speeding.
Just before 10.30am (Monday 27 January 2020), a Subaru Liberty was travelling on Windsor Road, Vineyard, when it allegedly failed to stop at a red traffic light at the intersection of Boundary Road and hit a stationary Hyundai I30.
The Subaru mounted a pedestrian island before coming to stop in a bus lane.
Officers from The Hills Traffic and Highway Patrol attended, and the driver, a 30-year-old man was subject to a roadside breath test, returning a positive result.
He was arrested and taken to Windsor Police Station where he allegedly returned a breath analysis reading of 0.143.
The Beaumont Hills man was issued a Court Attendance Notice for drive with middle range PCA and will appear at Windsor Local Court on Wednesday 26 February 2020.
Traffic and Highway Patrol Commander, Assistant Commissioner Michael Corboy said whilst it is encouraging to see 162 fewer people were charged with drink-driving offences compared with last year, sadly, some people are still not getting the message.
“We continue to encourage drivers to organise alternative transport when they are drinking; however, some choose to continue to put themselves, other road users and pedestrians at risk by driving while over the limit.
“Remember, as a driver you are not only responsible for your own safety but the safety of everyone in your car,” said Assistant Commissioner Corboy.
Sadly, during Operation Safe Return, two people lost their lives on NSW roads, bringing the total fatalities for 2020 to four.
Other items of interest on day four (Monday 27 January 2020) of Operation Safe Return include:
• In the Lake Macquarie region, a 48-year-old woman was stopped by police while allegedly driving in a break-down lane on the M1 at Wyee. She submitted to a roadside breath test that returned a positive result. She was arrested and taken to Wyong Police Station where she allegedly returned a breath analysis reading of 0.140. She was charged with drive with middle-range PCA and drive over solid edge line and will appear in Wyong Local Court on Monday 17 February 2020.
• At Batemans Bay, a 55-year-old motorcyclist was stopped by police at a shopping complex on Clyde Street, after allegedly being detected earlier riding without a helmet on the Princes Highway. The rider was subjected to a roadside breath test, returning a positive result. He was arrested and taken to Batemans Bay Police Station where he allegedly returned a breath analysis reading of 0.109. He was charged and will appear in Batemans Bay Local Court on Monday 2 March 2020. His licence was also suspended.
• Mt Druitt Traffic and Highway Patrol were conducting stationary breath testing on the Great Western Highway, Minchinbury, about 10pm, when they stopped a 40-year-old man. Officers discovered six children, aged between 3 and 18, in the vehicle were allegedly not wearing seatbelts or not in the correct prescribed child restraints. He was issued with several Traffic Infringement Notices.
