Council’s Road Safety Officer, Stephanie Puntoriero, is urging people attending Australia Day celebrations, or enjoying the holiday with family and friends, to celebrate safely.
Double demerit points will apply from midnight Thursday, 25 January 2024, until midnight Sunday, 28 January 2024.
Mrs Puntoriero says, “All motorists should take care when travelling over the holiday period as the roads will be busy. Don’t risk losing your licence. Double demerits will be enforced for speeding, not wearing a seatbelt, mobile phone offences and riding without a motorcycle helmet.”
“Speed was a contributing factor in over 21 per cent of all crashes in Leeton Shire and fatigue contributed to 16.8 per cent of all Leeton crashes in the last five years. We have also seen a rise in crashes where alcohol is involved previously sitting at 6.4 per cent but now reaching 10 per cent.”
“No one plans to have a crash. By planning your journey and building in regular rest breaks, you can safely arrive at your destination without speeding or driving when tired. Research shows that being awake for about 17 hours has a similar effect on your driving as a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.05.”
Driver reviver sites will be operating throughout the region and NSW over the Australia Day holiday period, providing motorists the opportunity to take a break and have a free cuppa and a chat before getting back on the road.
