Driver fatigue and distraction remain the biggest contributors to road accidents in the state according to Tasmania Police, as Operation Crossroads comes to a close.
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As of midnight Monday, police had carried out a total of 37,611 random drug and alcohol tests as part of the the road safety campaign between December 22 and January 1.
Senior Sergeant Luke Moore said police were pleased to see zero fatalities on Tasmanian roads during the 2017-2018 operation – a repeat of the year before.
“Members of Tasmania Police don’t want to see any fatal crashes and it’s been really pleasing that over this Crossroads period, we haven’t had any,” he said.
“We’ve had one extra serious crash – seven this year for the same period as opposed to six last year.
“Having a quick look at the crash reports that come through from the attending police, you can see that in about three of them inattentiveness made up one of the main reasons as well as fatigue.”
This year police intercepted a further 11,000 vehicles compared to the 2016-2017 operation, with a similar number of infringement notices issued.
The total number of crashes was down 30 per cent compared to the same time last year.
Senior Sergeant Moore said police attended numerous “near misses” that could have easily been fatal, including one driver who fell asleep, crossed onto the wrong side of the road and crashed into a tree.
“It is only by chance that someone walks away from an accident like that,” he said.
“It is just good grace that we haven’t had a fatality when we report on these incidences.
“What’s distressing to me over this period is that we keep selling these messages.
“Yet people still choose to disobey these warnings.
“The sheer energy involved in a crash at 110km/h is just fearsome and how people can’t see that this is just such risky behaviour … that is what we shake our heads at.”
There will be a strong police presence on the roads for the remainder of the school holidays.