During the five-day Operation Tortoise campaign, police targeted motorists who were speeding, drink and drug-driving, using their mobile phone and not wearing seatbelts, with double demerit points given to those caught.

Traffic and Highway Patrol Command Sergeant Peter Foran said a large amount of traffic passed through the Chifley region during the long weekend, and while he praised some motorists, he said police detected some very high speeds from others.

Bathurst Police detected a male p-plater driving at 135km/h along Hereford Street on Friday night.

On Sunday, a p-plater was nabbed driving at 162km/h in a 100km/h zone on the Castlereagh Highway at Capertee.

While police detected a 23-year-old male motorist travelling at 89km/h in a 60km/h zone on Sydney Road in Bathurst on Monday.

“P-platers are over-represented in crashes. They tend to take more risks,” Sgt Foran said. “There’s still some stupidity [on the roads].”

Also on the weekend in Bathurst, two motorists with cancelled or suspended licences were each pulled over twice in the same day by police in separate incidents.

However, Sgt Foran also praised the many motorists who did the right thing on the roads during the five-day operation which ran from Thursday to Monday.

During this time just three people were caught drink driving from the 3500-plus random breath tests conducted across Chifley.

Also, 96 speeding motorists were caught, three restraint infringements issued, and 65 other offences detected such as using mobile phones while driving.

“Every category is down from last year which would show a change in driver behaviour or our high-profile deployment is having an effect,” Sgt Foran said.

There were three major crashes across Chifley with only minor injuries reported.

Across the state

POLICE are dismayed that despite numerous warnings, double-demerit enforcement, and pleas to slow down over the Easter long-weekend, 7687 drivers were detected speeding during Operation Tortoise.

Assistant Commissioner Michael Corboy, of the Traffic and Highway Patrol Command, said people continue to put their lives and the lives of other at risk with speeding.

“During Operation Tortoise, despite numerous warnings, and double demerit enforcement, people still put their lives and the lives of other road users at risk by speeding,” he said.

“Speeding is still the biggest contributor to fatal crashes, contributing to about 40 per cent of fatal crashes.

“The fact that over 7500 drivers were still detected speeding over a single long-weekend is ludicrous.

“We had four people die during Operation Tortoise. That is four families who have lost a loved one this Easter.

“If that is not enough to deter drivers from speeding, I don’t know what is.”

Operation Tortoise – the Easter long-weekend traffic operation – began at 12.01am on Thursday, April 13 and concluded at 11.59pm on Monday, April 17.