Last year, police conducted more than 4000 random breath tests, issued close to 200 speeding offences and implemented roadside drug testing. The 2012 holiday period was fatality free but this year, the ACT road toll already sits at six.

Chief Police Officer for the ACT Rudi Lammers said the season was a time to be enjoyed with family and friends, not spent in the back of an ambulance or a police vehicle.

''We should not accept that any human being should die or be seriously injured on our roads, he said. ''Each life saved and serious injury avoided reduces pain and suffering for friends, families and loved ones.''

Commander of Fire and Rescue services Mike Cochrane said he would rather see police catching and stopping people doing dangerous things on the road than pull their bodies from a crash scene.

''The police get people before the accident, if they are breaking the law, but what we see is the aftermath,'' he said.

The joint police operation will focus on the Kings Highway and target dangerous and illegal driving activity between Canberra and Batemans Bay. NSW Police Superintendent Rob Ryan said deterrence was a key factor in road safety and having a strong and visible police presence on busy arterial roads out of Canberra helped to protect drivers and prevent road trauma.

Mr Cochrane has worked through many Christmas seasons on the roads and said it was never easy to retrieve drivers from their cars, knowing they could have avoided hurting themselves or others by being more careful. ''Fatigue is an issue,'' he said. ''That whole 'I've got to push through to the destination' is a real killer. ''If it would take you two hours normally, give yourself three hours. Make an allowance - a break can be a lifesaver.''