NSW posts big reduction in road deaths

NSW police say fewer people have died on the roads in 2013 compared with any year since 1924.

Traffic on the M5 in Sydney

NSW police say fewer people have died on the roads in 2013 compared with any year since 1924. (AAP)

NSW in 2013 recorded its lowest road toll for 89 years, but police are warning drivers not to become complacent.

And fewer people died on the state's roads over the holiday period than in previous years, with 10 fatalities throughout NSW Police's Operation Safe Arrival period from December 20 to January 2.

The toll is seven down on the same period in 2012-2013 when 17 people died in 15 crashes.

The Operation Safe Arrival period is separate from the Australia New Zealand Policing Advisory Board's national road toll period, which started at midnight on December 23 and ends at midnight on January 3.

NSW police carried out 571,664 breath tests and issued 960 drink-driving charges during Operation Safe Arrival.

NSW Police Deputy Commissioner Catherine Burn said despite the road toll reduction, there was still unacceptable loss of life on NSW roads.

"We can't become complacent because we have seen a massive reduction in road injury and road death," she told reporters on Friday.

"It really is now the crucial time for us to focus on keeping this road toll as low as we possibly can."

The overall road toll for 2013 of 339 is the lowest since 1924, Ms Burn said.

About 11,540 speeding infringements were also detected over the Christmas-new year period - about 400 more than the same period in 2012.

Assistant Commissioner John Hartley, of the NSW Traffic and Highway Patrol, said the highway patrol had resources on every highway and backstreet in NSW.

While the traffic blitz might be over, police are expecting heavy traffic over the weekend as people return home from holidays.

"Certainly tomorrow will be the day it is change over for accommodation down the coast in NSW," Mr Hartley said.

"So it will be very busy coming out of the city tomorrow and coming in.

He said while the operation in name has stopped, "all the resources are still out there to make sure people get the message".

NSW Police Minister Michael Gallacher said there was no excuse for people not heeding the message from police about speeding and drink driving.

"Quite simply when you see these statistics you really wonder why is it that people are not heeding the message during a period of double demerit points in particular ..." he said.


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Source: AAP


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