Statistics from Operation Safe Arrival, a high visibility state-wide road safety campaign targeting, revealed that as of Wednesday afternoon, 21 drivers had been caught speeding in the district compared to 69 in the Bathurst-based Chifley division and 60 in Dubbo’s Orana command.

Western Region Traffic and Highway Patrol Command Senior Sergeant Colin Sheil said it was frustrating for police that some drivers chose to ignore the rules.

“With speeding, it never ceases to amaze me that even with the advertising, the news and the penalties imposed that people still break the law,” he said.

He said often the absent-minded driver was the worst offender.

“The person going about their usual routine, who is not paying attention to the speed they’re doing,” he said.

Senior Sergeant Shiel said “morning after” drink driving offences, where residual alcohol puts the driver over the limit was also an area of concern at Christmas.

“In Orange we had a driver involved in an accident with an alleged blood alcohol reading six times the legal limit,” he said.

“We’ve had young P-platers, who are supposed to have a reading of zero, getting readings which are twice the full licence level.”

His advice to motorists was to leave enough time for the alcohol to leave your system.

“Leave it a lot longer, double what you think is safe for you to drive. If you’re not 100 per cent sure, plan to stay where you are, because the chances of being caught by police are very high,” he said.

“We’ve been getting people left, right and centre with random breath tests.

“If you chance it, you’ll be caught.”

Senior Sergeant Sheil said the campaign, which continues until January 1, had paid dividends for police with no fatal or major injury crashes in the area.

“We have’t seen any erratic driving in years gone by. Overall drivers are adhering to our warnings,” he said.

“We’re just here to make sure people get home safely.”