Dangerous drivers caught during long weekend

Police urge all motorists to be safer on the road after a number of dangerous incidents across the state during the Kings Birthday long weekend.

Operation Kings Birthday long weekend 2025, a statewide traffic operation, commenced at 12am on Friday, June 6 and concluded at 11.59pm Monday June 9.

Double demerit points were in force for the duration of the operation for speeding, mobile phone, seatbelt, and motorcycle helmet offences.

The Traffic and Highway Patrol Command, together with local police, patrolled roads across the state, targeting dangerous driving behaviour and risks on the roads – with the aim of preventing injury and death.

During the period, police saw a concerning number of dangerous driving incidents, including excessive speed, high-range drink-driving, and reckless driving.

Police issued 4032 speed infringements, conducted 202,762 breath tests with 275 people charged with drink-driving, 655 positive roadside drug detections after 9551 random drug tests conducted, and attended 287 major crashes, resulting in 75 people injured.

Three people including a motorcycle rider died on NSW roads over the period, the same number during the operation last year.

There were 399 mobile phone infringements, 221 seatbelt infringements and 6665 other infringements issued to drivers.

Traffic and Highway Patrol Commander, Assistant Commissioner David Driver, acknowledged the majority of drivers over this long weekend did abide by the road rules but there remains a group of road users that continue to break the law and this presents a risk to the whole community.

“Over the past few days of the Kings birthday long weekend, we have seen three people lose their lives and 75 people injured on our roads,” Assistant Commissioner David Driver said.

“Motor vehicle crashes are preventable, however when they occur lives can be lost, and others permanently changed.

“I want to really reiterate the message that driving is a high-risk activity, and all road users need to drive their vehicle with care and attention, and importantly adhere to the road rules,” he said.

In this western region, which includes Gunnedah, police during the long weekend issued 530 speed infringements, conducted 16,594 breath tests for 33 PCA charges, recorded 89 positive drug-driving tests, 18 major crashes and one fatality.