From late December 2024 to early January 2025, New South Wales Police executed Operation Christmas/New Year 2024, implementing double demerits for various traffic offences.

Tragically, during this 13-day operation, 10 road users lost their lives, marking an increase from 6 deaths in the same timeframe in 2023.

This rise in fatalities contributed to a 4.5% increase in the New South Wales road toll from December 2023 to November 2024, while Australia's overall road toll rose by 6.1%, totaling 1318 deaths.

Notably, the New South Wales road toll surged by two-thirds during the Christmas and New Year holiday period of 2024-2025 compared to the previous year.

In total, 1009 major crashes were reported in New South Wales throughout the operation, highlighting a concerning trend in road safety.

Acting Assistant Commissioner Tracey Chapman reported 1725 positive roadside drug detections, indicating a troubling rise in dangerous driving behaviours.

A new law enacted in September 2024 allows police to arrest suspected drug drivers on the spot, which may explain the increase in drug-driving charges compared to those for drink-driving.

During the operation, police issued 9719 speeding infringements, conducted 438,328 breath tests, and charged 720 individuals with drink driving.

Despite the shorter enforcement period compared to the previous year, the average daily death rate increased from 0.55 in 2023 to 0.77 in 2024.

It's important to note that while the presence of alcohol alone is not an offence unless over the legal limit, any illegal drugs in a motorist's system constitutes an offence.

Chapman emphasized the ongoing commitment of police to target dangerous drivers and urged the public to report unsafe driving.