The operation, which officially runs until January 4, will include an increase in police along highways, suburban roads and within central business districts across NSW. There will be a focus on preventing drink-driving and speeding, while increasing seatbelt use and the use of helmets by cyclists.

The commander of the NSW Police Force's Traffic and Highway Patrol, Assistant Commissioner John Hartley, has urged drivers to take responsibility for their own safety and the safety of other road users during the festive season.

''You are twice as likely to be breath-tested, have your speed checked or be spoken to by police during Operation Safe Arrival,'' he said.

''That means if you are foolish enough to break the law, you are twice as likely to be caught.''

Police would not confirm specific areas they would be targeting but warned they would be using police intelligence to determine when and where to deploy extra officers.

Fairy Meadow resident Carol Innes also urged motorists to be prudent during the busy Christmas period, after losing her 21-year-old son, Craig, to a car crash in 2010.

''You owe it to yourself, your family and other road users,'' Mrs Innes said.

Assistant Commissioner Hartley said: ''The festive period is a time to be spent with friends and family, not in the back of an ambulance, an intensive care ward or police cell''.

Last year's Operation Safe Arrival resulted in more than 33,000 recorded traffic offences and a total of 19 road deaths were recorded in NSW over the period.