South Australia Police (SAPOL) is urging motorists to slow down this Labour Day long weekend as it launches a new road safety campaign which prompts drivers to consider what speeding could really cost them.
The campaign, ‘What will your speeding cost you?’, targets moderate speeders – those who travel 10-14km/h over the speed limit – and challenges the perception that driving slightly above the limit is low risk.
Launching over the long weekend, the campaign highlights how the consequences of creeping over the speed limit can extend from financial ramifications to loss of life, and the emotional impact of those consequences.
The campaign centres on a child’s doll placed at a roadside memorial, which narrates the escalating repercussions experienced by a driver following a crash.
Officer in Charge of Traffic Services Branch, Superintendent Shane Johnson said the campaign was a timely reminder for motorists ahead of a busy period on South Australian roads.
“Many people will be taking advantage of the long weekend and school holidays to travel across the state, and we want everyone to reach their destination and return home safely,” Superintendent Johnson said.
” With 84 lives lost on our roads this year, we are pleading with road users to prioritise road safety.
“Before you get behind the wheel this long weekend, plan for your journey to include regular rest breaks, avoid distractions, stick to the speed limit and drive to the conditions, and of course, follow the road rules.”
SAPOL will launch Operation Safe Long Weekend (OSLW) from 12.01am on Friday 2 October and conclude at 11.59pm on Monday 5 October, with police targeting dangerous road user behaviours across metropolitan and regional South Australia. Additionally, Operation Safe Hills will run parallel to OSLW.
Motorists should expect police anywhere at any time, with officers targeting speeding, drink and drug driving, distraction, seatbelt offences, and other dangerous road use.
The ‘What will you speeding cost you?’ campaign will run across television, radio, outdoor and digital advertising from 4 October 2026.
