On Monday police said they would be conducting targeted operations to enforce speed limits, with speeders facing fines of up to $1811 and six demerit points.

Acting Officer in Charge of Traffic Operations Station Sergeant Marcus Boorman is pleading with speeding motorists to slow down.

"The reality is, if you travel above the speed limit, the faster you travel the longer it takes you to stop and the impact at the other end is quite significant" said Sergeant Boorman.

"Had you been travelling 10 kilometres below the speed limit or even at the speed limit, a lot of these collisions could be avoided."

ACT Policing will be be using designated traffic cars with specialist equipment to detect speeding, including in school zones where 890 drivers were caught speeding in 2016, four of them in excess of 45km/h over the speed limit.

While not all police cars will have these resources, Sergeant Boorman said every car is supplied with laser equipment for speed detection.

Gungahlin Drive, Majura Parkway, Monaro Highway, William Hovell Drive and Belconnen Way would likely be of particular interest to police as the top five speeding hotspots in Canberra.

"It is very frustrating, police are doing what we can along with the ACT government to keep our roads safe and protect our vulnerable road users" Sergeant Boorman said.

"I don't know how much clearer I can make the statement to stop speeding."

Speeding was one of the top contributors to road fatalities in the ACT last year, with 10 people dying on Canberra's roads in 2016.

These deaths take a hefty toll on police as well as families, Sergeant Boorman said.

"I can only speculate on what the families must go through when they get the knock on the door. It doesn't get any easier.

"Passing on any tragic news to any family has a significant impact on the police officer and a lot of the times it can be avoided."