NSW: 2,500 booked for speeding on day one of Easter break

AAP General News (Australia)
04-13-2001
NSW: 2,500 booked for speeding on day one of Easter break

More than 2,500 New South Wales motorists have been booked for speeding and 34 charged
with drink driving on the first day of the Easter holiday road safety campaign.

Police carried out 22,340 random breath tests on day one of Operation Tortoise, charging
34 people compared to 37 on the first day of the Easter break last year.

Despite new penalties and double demerit points for not wearing seat belts, 140 motorists
were booked for not buckling up.

In the first 24 hours of Operation Tortoise, 2,588 drivers were booked for speeding,
not including those captured on RTA fixed speed cameras.

Traffic Policy Commander, Inspector DAVE EVANS says police are concentrating on drivers
who speed, drink and drive and those who don't wear seatbelts.

He says while NSW roads have so far remained fatality free over the Easter period,
they're warning drivers not to become complacent.





Police say one driver was caught yesterday driving over 15km more than the speed limit
in Sydney's east twice within 30 minutes.

In other incidents, a disqualified driver was clocked at 84kph in a 60kph zone and
returned a positive breath test in Sydney's southwest.

Operation Tortoise runs until midnight Monday.

AAP RTV sal/alt

KEYWORD: TORTOISE (SYDNEY)

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