Police warn drivers of increased road presence across Australia

Photo by Darrian Traynor/Getty Images

Ahead of the Easter public holiday festivities, police across the country are warning drivers of increased road presence and various operations set to take place.

Police say the road blitz is targeted towards impaired driving, speeding, distracted driving, and dangerous and reckless behaviour – as well as general safety – as authorities are expecting an increase of families hitting the road throughout the long weekend.

The road operations are set to take place from 28 March 2024 to 1 April 2024 – except Queensland, which starts on 29 March and ends on 14 April, and Tasmania, which begins on 28 March 2024 with no official end date.

In Western Australia, New South Wales, Queensland and the Australian Capital Territory, double demerits are enforced throughout the public holiday.

“We want all of you to arrive safely at your destination and enjoy the Easter long weekend with loved ones,” NSW Traffic and Highway Patrol Commander Brett McFadden said in a media statement.

“We are asking every person who gets behind the wheel of a motor vehicle or hops on a motorcycle, to be responsible and do everything they can to keep themselves, their passengers and other road users safe,” he added.

This comes as Australia records the highest number of road fatalities since 2019 – at 1286 from February 2023 to February 2024 – according to theBureau of Infrastructure, Research and Economics (BITRE).