The road safety campaign will see an increased police presence on NSW roads with harsher penalties in place for motorists caught doing the wrong thing.

Since the start of the year, 79 people have been killed across the state’s roads.

Of those fatalities, 28 have occurred during the month of March, four of them last weekend.

The number of deaths this year is up by two from this time in 2014, making it even more important for people to use the road safely.

Inspector Mark Wall of Chifley Local Area Command said road users caught speeding, drink or drug driving, using mobile phones or not wearing seatbelts or correct helmets will not be tolerated. 

“Police will be conducting numerous random breath tests and they will also be targeting speeding drivers, people not wearing their seat belts and a range of other offences,” he said.

Increased penalties for these offences could see some drivers incur hefty fines or even lose their licence. 

To avoid this, motorists are urged to take extra caution over the holiday period while roads are at their busiest by driving to the conditions. 

Families travelling over the long weekend are encouraged to plan their trips in advance to ensure they have adequate travel time and have factored in plenty of rest breaks to combat fatigue, one of the biggest killers on NSW roads. 

NSW Police will also be sharing road safety messages throughout the long weekend to help promote safe driving.

Members of the public are asked to share these with their friends and family, as they may just be the thing that saves them from injury or death these holidays. 

Operation Tortoise is currently in effect across NSW and will continue until 11:59pm on Monday, April 6. Double demerits will be in place for speeding, seatbelt and motorcycle helmet offences.

“It is about making sure people get to their destinations safely,” Inspector Wall said.