Local drivers have been put on notice - unsafe and impaired driving will not be tolerated.
Local police will be out in force this weekend as part of the statewide Operation RAID - Remove All Impaired Drivers.
It is prompted by statistics that 130 people are killed annually on NSW roads due to a driver being impaired by drugs or alcohol.
Starting yesterday and running through to Sunday, Deniliquin-based Detective Chief Inspector Jy Brown said the operation aims to target drug and alcohol affected drivers.
But he said other driving behaviours would also be encompassed.
“Locally, we will be out doing a bit,” he said.
“We’ll be out conducting roadside breath and drug testing, and things of that nature.
“As well as RBTs and removing impaired drivers from the roads, we will also be keeping an eye on speeding and illegal mobile phone and device use.”
NSW Police have also placed an emphasis on driver fatigue, and will speak with drivers about their journey distance, time spent behind the wheel and whether they have taken breaks.
In launching the operation on Wednesday, the NSW Police Force said drink-driving, drug driving and fatigue are the three major contributors to the state’s annual road toll.
Operation RAID coincides with Rural Road Safety Month in NSW - an initiative of the Australian Road Safety Foundation.
This year's theme for Rural Road Safety Month is ‘Help sow the seeds of change; road safety starts with you’.
The month-long campaign focuses on the challenges directly facing country road users, with data showing people living in the country make up roughly one third of the driving population and that more than two thirds of deaths are on rural or country roads.
Supporting the campaign, National Heavy Vehicle Regulator CEO Sal Petroccitto OAM is urging all drivers to be safe on the road.
He said it was particularly distressing to still see too many deaths on Australian roads each year – including incidents involving trucks and buses“.
Despite regional areas being vastly less populated than urban centres, fatalities on rural and regional roads account for about two-thirds of the road toll every year, with 811 lives lost in 2023, he highlighted.
“We know in our experience at the NHVR that travelling on rural and regional roads comes with unique challenges and risks – speed limits are greater, roads may be unsealed and there can be more environmental challenges such as animals or visual obstructions,” Mr Petroccitto said.
“It is why we want to use Rural Road Safety Month to implore all road users to ensure they are taking extra caution when getting behind the wheel, including being well-rested and ready to drive.”