Police are concerned with driver behaviour after nine people were killed on NSW roads during an 11-day traffic operation over the Christmas and New Year period.
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Among those fatalities were two in the Orange region, adding to what has already been a terrible year on the region's roads.
At 1am on Wednesday, December 28, emergency services were called to Cargo Road, near Woods Lane, Nashdale, after reports that a Ford ute travelling westbound had gone off the road and hit a tree.
The male driver, and sole occupant of the vehicle died at the scene.
At 2pm on Thursday, December 29, a motorcycle and car collided on Banjo Paterson Way, near Yullundry Road, Yullundry. The male rider of the motorcycle died at the scene.
Operation Christmas/New Year 2022/2023 started at 12.01am on Friday, December 23, 2022, and ended at 11.59pm on Monday, January 2, 2023.
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, enforced all road-related legislation, including drug driving, distractions, driving tired, and any dangerous driving behaviours which put the safety of road users at risk.
Across the western region, there were 72 seat belt infringements, 13 mobile phone infringements and 1006 speeding offences.
Police conducted 33,006 breath tests from which 63 people were charged with drink-driving.
There were also 124 drug-driving charges, and 53 reported major crashes with 43 people injured.
Those crashes included a crash on Ulan Road on the outskirts of Mudgee on Wednesday, December 28, when a van crashed into a tree. On Monday, January 2, police confirmed the driver of the van remained in hospital after receiving significant injuries in that crash including internal and head injuries as well as a compound leg fracture.
The Mitchell Highway was also closed in both directions at at Neurea, south of Wellington, on Thursday, December 29 following a truck crash.
On Friday, December 30, a family was lucky to escape serious injury after a car towing a caravan, hit a pothole on Burrendong Way at Mumbil and flipped. A spokeswoman from NSW Ambulance said emergency services were contacted at 10.25am.
A 1pm that day, emergency services were called to the scene of a two-crash crash on O'Connell Road, in the vicinity of the intersection with Blue Ridge Drive at Bathurst.
A person was reported as trapped in a vehicle, reportedly unable to open their door, but they were released a short time later and three people were assessed for injuries at the scene.
Later that same day the Mid Western Highway was forced to close after a semi-trailer jack-knifed and crashed into a tree. The crash took place about 3.45pm near Rockdell Road in Lyndhurst.
Dangerous driving
During the 11-day period, police saw a concerning number of dangerous driving incidents, including excessive speed, high-range drink-driving, and reckless driving.
Among those speeding drivers was a B-double truck that was detected travelling 40km/h above the speed limit on the Newell Highway at 11am on Friday, December 30. The truck was clocked at 98 km/h in a sign posted 60km/h roadwork zone in Alectown, North of Parkes.
A 19-year-old Dubbo man was also charged twice within 20 minutes for multiple vehicle offences on Boxing Day. Walgett Highway Patrol charged the Dubbo man following a vehicle stop in Brewarrina, in Western NSW.
On Christmas Eve a disqualified motorbike rider was charged with several offences after coming to the attention of Bathurst Highway Patrol on Mount Panorama.
According to police, the highway patrol officers attempted to stop the Yamaha trail bike about 7.40pm but the male rider attempted to evade them and tried to get through property entrances at Forrest Elbow, but "realised he had nowhere to go", and surrendered himself to the awaiting officers.
Across the state, police issued 8118 speed infringements, laid 642 drink-driving charges, 972 drug-driving charges, attended 746 major crashes, and conducted 317,229 breath tests.
Nine people died in crashes over the period, compared to five in the previous year.