Police ramp up presence on roads ahead of busy Christmas holiday season

  • All available police resources deployed this Christmas
  • Powerful new campaign launches to highlight impact of road trauma
  • Double demerits apply Midnight Thursday until January 3, 2021
  • Police and Road Safety Minister Michelle Roberts is urging drivers to show care and consideration for one another on the roads this festive season as Police commence their State-wide Traffic blitz.

    Traffic enforcement operations are being ramped up, with additional police resources and extra overtime approved ahead of the festive period.

    Police will be patrolling arterial routes linked to holiday destinations in regional WA and in the metropolitan area, officers will deploy “lockdown’s” utilising drug and booze bus operations.

    Both marked and unmarked traffic vehicles, along with covert police motorbikes will target speeding, seatbelt offences and drivers using their mobile phones.

    The double demerit point period begins from midnight Thursday December 17 and runs until January 3.

    On the eve of one of the busiest periods on the roads, the Minister also launched a powerful new campaign designed to put a face to the thousands of people who suffer serious and lifelong injuries from road trauma each year.

    The Life Toll campaign will run in the media across the Christmas and New Year period and features stories from people who have sustained life-altering injuries due to a simple mistake on the roads.

    As stated by Police and Road Safety Minister Michelle Roberts:

    “This festive season we want all Western Australians to travel safely and enjoy time with their family and friends.

    “There will be a big police presence throughout the State, but let us all show some courtesy, consideration and care on the roads this holiday season.

    “Whilst we regularly hear about the people killed on WA roads, hundreds more are injured on WA roads every year.

    “The stories from Ben and Paul in the Life Toll campaign are real and they are brave.

    “I hope it might make people pause for a moment and be that little more patient, tolerant and courteous to other road users.

    “Let’s try and save other West Australian road users and their families from the shocking impact of road trauma this Christmas.”

    /Public Release. View in full here.