Police have called on drivers to follow road rules after issuing 97 fines while Canberrans celebrated the Family and Community Day long weekend.
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A 19-year-old Belconnen man was caught driving at 120km/h in a 60km/h zone on Caswell Drive, Aranda on Saturday.
An ACT Policing spokeswoman said the man was issued with an infringement notice, received a $1,811 fine and the loss of six demerit points.
More than 40 caution notices were issued from Saturday to Monday and 75 speeding offences were registered, despite drivers being put on notice about increased highway patrols during the long weekend.
Acting Superintendent for traffic operations Sergeant Rod Anderson said the results showed some drivers were not concerned with community road safety.
“The results show that some drivers are still taking risks on Canberra roads and it’s just lucky there were no major traffic incidents over the weekend,” he said.
“With the Labour Day long weekend coming up, we’re appealing to drivers to consider the consequences of unsafe driving, such as driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, speeding and not wearing a seatbelt.”
Double demerits point penalties will apply across the ACT for speeding and seatbelt offences, with an extra point for all other traffic offences from midnight on Friday to midnight Monday inclusive.
The ACT road toll for 2013 currently sits at six.
NSW Police also warned drivers to obey road rules during the upcoming long weekend.
As part of Operation Slow Down, high-visibility policing will take place around NSW, with officers targeting dangerous driving, drink-driving, speeding, fatigue and seatbelt offences.
NSW Assistant Commissioner John Hartley said there had been 33 fewer deaths on NSW roads, compared to the same time last year.
“The Labour Day long weekend will see an increased number of motorists starting their journey to and from planned events, as well as returning from school holidays with family and friends in the car,” Assistant Commissioner Hartley said.
“Before heading out, we want drivers to think of the consequences of getting stopped by police or being involved in a crash.
“You may lose your licence under double demerits or sustain serious injuries. Some people may think it won’t happen to them, but when it does, the impact can be devastating.
Officers stopped 4080 drivers for speeding during the same operation in 2012, while 154 were charged with drink-driving.
