MEMBERS of the New South Wales Police Force are horrified at the number of people making poor choices when travelling on the roads over the Easter Long Weekend.
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On Saturday morning six people travelling in the one vehicle were detected not wearing seatbelts, while on Friday three children were also found not to be wearing seatbelts when a vehicle was pulled over for a random breath test.
A disqualified driver has also failed a roadside drug test after being detected by police driving naked with a sex toy nearby.
Traffic and Highway Patrol Command’s Assistant Commissioner John Hartley he was horrified at the number of foolhardy choices being made on NSW roads.
“Seatbelts save lives and it is highly likely the officers at Quakers Hill may have prevented a potential tragedy,” Assistant Commissioner Hartley said.
“We all have choices to make when we get into a vehicle – choose to put your seatbelt on or restrain your children properly, choose to travel at a safe speed and travel in accordance to the prevailing road conditions.”
About 1.30am on Saturday morning, officers from Quakers Hill Highway Patrol, patrolling as a part of Operation Tortoise, stopped a Jeep Cherokee travelling on Old Windsor Road at Glenwood for a random breath test.
When the vehicle stopped, six unrestrained passengers were observed in the rear of the vehicle.
The driver was issued a Penalty Notice for Drive with four or more unrestrained passengers which carries a fixed penalty of $1346 and 12 demerit points due to it being double demerit point period.
The six unrestrained passengers were each issued a penalty notice for not wearing seatbelts. This carries a fixed penalty of $319 each.
On Friday police stopped a vehicle in Dubbo and discovered two children travelling in the back seat were not restrained and a three-year-old child was found to be travelling in a rear footwell of the vehicle.
The driver was issued penalty notices for the unrestrained passengers and for being the holder of an expired driver’s licence.
In Orange police from the Canobolas Highway Patrol stopped a vehicle about 2.40pm on Friday due to the slow speed it was travelling at.
As they approached the vehicle, they observed that the 30-year-old male driver was naked, with a sex toy nearby.
The man, who was allowed to dress, failed a mobile drug test which resulted in a secondary sample being taken at Orange Police Station.
The secondary sample is being analysed and inquiries are continuing.
Police have also seized a subaru for a period of three months after a 22-year-old Queensland man was stopped by Wagga Wagga Highway Patrol after his Queensland registered Subaru was detected travelling at 135kmh in a 60kmh sign posted area on Friday.
The male was issued a penalty notice and his Queensland drivers licence was suspended in the state of NSW for six months.
So far during Operation Tortoise police have detected 2653 people travelling above the speed limit – which is 482 more than for the same point in last year’s operation.
Forty five people have been injured in 130 serious crashes across the state. The NSW Easter road toll remains at one.
Operation Tortoise began on Thursday, and ends at 11:59pm on Monday.
The state-wide campaign involves extra police targeting a range of offences, including drink and drug driving, speeding, fatigue, seatbelt use, mobile-phone use and other forms of dangerous driving.
Double demerits remain in place until Monday, March 28 2016.