‘Highly visible': Double-demerit warning
Double demerits and other penalties for drivers will be in effect from Friday midnight through the end of the King's Birthday long weekend, as police ramp up public holiday crackdowns.
The double-demerit system will come into effect in NSW from 12.01am on Friday, June 6, and end at 11.59pm on Monday, June 9 for speeding, illegal use of mobile phones, not wearing a seatbelt and riding without a motorcycle helmet.
Police may also give additional demerit points if certain driving and parking offences are committed in a school zone.
The ACT will also implement a similar double-demerit point system, with a single extra demerit point for all other traffic offences.
Victoria Police is cracking down on dangerous driving behaviour over the long weekend, with the road safety blitz – Operation Regal – launching on Friday.
Police say the number of lives lost on the road has surged to a 16-year high, with 37 fatalities recorded just in May.
There have been 136 lives have been lost on Victorian roads this year, up by 14 per cent on the same time last year
Road Policing Command Acting Assistant Commissioner David Byrt said the amount of road trauma the team had experienced halfway into the year had been 'extremely concerning'.
'Whether you're travelling across the state this weekend or heading to the alpine regions, please take extra care on the roads and be sure to drive to the conditions,' he said.
'We'll be highly visible and enforcing across the state's roads this long weekend, cracking down on any dangerous driving behaviour that puts other road users at risk.'
Police have warned that speeding and distracted motorists will be their key focus over the King's Birthday long weekend, which has been identified as a high-risk period on Victoria's roads.
Major arterials and highways leading to holiday hotspots will be targeted, including the alpine areas, with the snow season expected to begin from this weekend onwards.
Drivers and motorists are also urged to avoid driving while impaired, as drug and alcohol testing will be conducted anywhere and at any time.
'We're appealing to everyone to make road safety their No.1 priority every time they get behind the wheel or are out using our roads to eliminate this unnecessary and avoidable trauma,' Mr Byrt said.
'We'll be highly visible and enforcing across the state's roads this long weekend, cracking down on any dangerous driving behaviour that puts other road users at risk.'
Other states like South Australia, Tasmania and the Northern Territory will not be imposing a double-demerit scheme for the long weekend, but road safety campaigns will be conducted.
Tasmania Police has warned drivers and pedestrians to exercise safety and caution during Hobart's Dark Mofo musical festival, which kicks off on Friday.
'This year already, three pedestrians have died on Tasmanian roads, with a further 14 seriously injured,' Inspector John Toohey said.
'We're asking everyone to stay alert, avoid distractions such as phones or headphones and only cross at designated crossings.
'With many festival events taking place at night and in lowlight conditions, we're hoping to see responsible behaviour; that is, people looking out for each other, obeying traffic signals and being visible in the dark.'
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