One dead and 158 drivers charged with Drink Driving during Operation Safe Return

BY JESSICA ROUSE

NSW Police are alarmed at the number of drivers throughout the state and across the Hunter who in the last three days endangered the lives of other road users.

Operation Safe Return including double demerits concluded at midnight - police breathalysed more than 150,000 drivers, charging 158 of them.

Two people lost their lives on the state's roads during the operation including one driver who lost his life in the Hunter.

The 52-year-old was the passenger in Ford Sedan which hit a tree at Buchanan south of Maitland in the Werekata State Conservation Area on Friday night.

The driver, a 20-year-old man, is in a critical condition in hospital and the two other passengers both aged 18 were taken to hospital at the time with minor injuries.

The Crash Investigation Unit is investigating all of the circumstances surrounding the crash and the car has been seized as a part of inquiries.

Police also issued more than 3,660 speeding infringements.

A Hunter Valley man is off to court in March after he was caught by Highway Patrol officers traveling in excess of the signposted 90km/hr on the New England Highway near Singleton on Friday.

The car took off from police and a pursuit was initiated with the driver then then seen driving an estimated speed of 120km/hr to 140km/hr in a 60km.hr zone at Singleton.

The 20-year-old driver was eventually stopped and taken to Muswellbrook Police Station where he was charged with six traffic offenses.

Double Demerits in Force as Operation Safe Return comes into Action

BY JESSICA ROUSE

As we head into another long weekend, NSW Police have launched Operation Safe Return in a bid to keep drivers safe on our roads.

Latest police data reveals the person most likely to be involved in a crash is a male driver, traveling on country roads, between midday and 6 o clock at night.

But the message from police is that anyone can be involved in an accident and it's already happened at a record high rate with 392 lives lost on NSW roads last year.

"Safe Return is a state wide operation which will be targeting speeding, fatigue, drink driving, not wearing a seat belt and mobile phone use," said Chief Inspector Bruce McGregor.

This year is off to an awful start, between January 1st and 23rd 27 fatal crashes have occurred on NSW roads with 29 people losing their lives. Some were here in the Hunter including a pedestrian who was killed on Nelson Bay Road in Fullerton Cove last weekend and another male pedestrian in Belmont last week.

"We haven't even completed a month yet and we've had seven fatalities which is really too many and it causes a lot of families and friends a lot of angst, and it's a life changing situation," said Chief Inspector McGregor.

Double demerits are now in force having started at midnight last night, and will be in force until midnight on Sunday (January 28).

"I would urge people to plan their journeys, have regular fatigue breaks and make sure they're hydrated and be respectful to other road uses and be patient because you will strike congestion and you will strike issues and be prepared for that," said Chief Inspector McGregor.