Move FM Regional news

KATOOMBA, Blue Mountains, NSW, Australia – NSW police officers and their Emergency Service colleagues, are regularly confronted with horrific scenes on our roads, too often, the result of reckless and dangerous behaviour by those behind the wheel.

More than 190 people have already died on the state’s roads this year, that’s more than one person a day.

There are many contributing factors causing fatalities and serious injury on NSW roads, including, speeding, drink and drug affected driving and our obsession with our mobile phones.

There is a cultural problem when drivers think it is more important to text and drive before considering the potentially life-threatening consequences. The same goes for drink and drug driving, not wearing a seatbelt and speeding.

Operation Merret was held from March to May in 2018 and is an all-inclusive Police Area Command driven State wide operation, aimed at enabling every police officer – uniformed and plain clothed, and every police car – marked and unmarked – to engage with the community and, if necessary, enforce the traffic laws.

Due to the current state of the road toll in NSW, Operation Merret is being reintroduced to enforce the road safety message to our communities. The police cannot do this alone and require the community to take an active part in assisting them to reduce the effects of road trauma.

Operation Merret will run from Sunday 4 August for a 12 week period.