7 January 2015

Media Release: Holiday Road Users’ Behaviours Concern Police

CEO of ANZPAA, Jon White announced today the final figures from the Australia and New Zealand road safety operation, Operation Crossroads, which all nine police jurisdictions held over the Christmas and New Year holiday period.

Following on from the 48 fatalities on Australian and New Zealand roads over the Christmas and New Year holidays, police are concerned by the risky behaviours of some road users.

While the prevalent causes of road crashes continue to be speeding and drink/drug driving, over the 12-day operation, 3,490 road users were issued with traffic infringement notices for seatbelt related offences. Police also detected 2,615 mobile phone use offences.

”Excessive speed and drink/drug driving are the biggest causes of crashes as demonstrated in research and in the day-to-day experience of police. Driving at safe speeds, and not combining driving with drinking alcohol or drug-taking remain the most likely ways to bring fatalities and serious injuries down on Australian and New Zealand roads,” says Jon White.

Jon White said that wearing a seatbelt is crucial to not only surviving a crash but also avoiding serious injury; “For most people putting on a seatbelt is second nature but regrettably for some this is still not the case. Using a mobile phone while driving is really risky and can be readily avoided. Taking your eyes off the road even for a few moments can spell tragedy,” says Jon White.

Operation Crossroads is an initiative of Police Commissioners in Australia and New Zealand to reduce road trauma over the holiday periods by raising awareness of road safety issues, in particular targeting the ‘Fatal Five’ causes shown by extensive road safety research to be the main cause of road crashes – speeding, drink/drug driving, fatigue, distraction and not wearing seatbelts.

This operation supports the targets specified in the Australian National Road Safety Strategy 2011–2020 and New Zealand’s Road Safety Strategy 2010–2020 (Safer Journeys) which aims to reduce the annual numbers of both deaths and serious injuries on our roads.

Number of Total
Random Breath Tests administered 1,243,798
Drink driving offences 3,646
Drug tests administered * 8,145
Drug tests positive 912
Licence offences 8,499
Traffic infringement notices:
• seatbelt infringements 3,490
• mobile phone use infringements 2,615
Speeding offences 34,373
Vehicle impoundments/immobilisation** 1,584

The Australia New Zealand Policing Advisory Agency (ANZPAA) is the agency that serves Police Commissioners in Australia and New Zealand.

##ENDS##

Notes to the Editor:

Operation Crossroads (23 December 2014 – 3 January 2015) is a joint initiative of Police Commissioners across Australia and New Zealand. The operation seeks to reduce road trauma by raising awareness of road safety issues, in particular the ‘Fatal Five’ – drink/drug driving, speeding, fatigue, distraction and not wearing seatbelts. Operation Crossroads supports the UN Decade of Action for Road Safety which was launched in May 2011.

*Where provided for in jurisdictional legislation.

**The definitions for vehicle impoundments differs within jurisdictions, some also include immobilisation under this category. The reporting against this category was at the discretion of each jurisdiction based on their definition.

To find out more information on Operation Crossroads please visit www.anzpaa.org.au

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