There is no safe level of alcohol or drugs when getting behind the wheel, according to the Sturt Highway Taskforce as part of its ‘Arrive safe this Christmas’ campaign.
Between 2020 and 2024, alcohol was involved in an average of nearly 30% of crashes on country roads where road users were killed or sustained serious injuries.
Motorists are reminded that random breath and drug testing operate year-round across NSW, with double demerits in force for the festive season.
Tips for a safe celebration:
- Nominate a designated driver before drinking.
- Don’t drive the morning after – alcohol and drugs can stay in your system for many hours.
- Look out for mates and help them make the right choice.
The Sturt Highway Taskforce includes the councils of Wagga Wagga, Narrandera, Leeton, Hay, Murray River, Balranald, Wentworth and Murrumbidgee.
The warning comes as Victoria Police announce that they will conduct an extra 25,000 roadside drug tests every year, expand the use of technology to catch unauthorised drivers and reduce paperwork so police spend more time on the road in a major safety boost.
The boost includes:
- An additional 25,000 roadside drug tests to be conducted each year, bringing the total number of roadside drug tests to 175,000 annually – valued at $4.536m
- The delivery of a Roadside Impaired Driver Evidence (RIDE) application to reduce the manual paperwork required at the roadside for processing drug and alcohol data collection – valued at $5.841m
- An additional 88 vehicles fitted with automatic numberplate recognition (ANPR) technology. These will be based at 24-hour police stations to assist with detecting dangerous and unauthorised drivers – valued at $6.391m
- The replacement and upgrade of police in-car video technology in 98 vehicles. This will be allocated to one-member stations in regional and remote locations – valued at $2.842m
- The replacement of 123 evidentiary breath testing instruments used to detect drink drivers and purchasing an additional 27 new instruments – valued at $1.49m
