Extra police on roads for Easter

Every available police officer will be on the roads this Easter as part of a five-day commitment to minimising the road toll in the Great Southern over the long weekend.

With a double demerit period beginning today, the police presence on the major highways is set to be bolstered by Regional Enforcement Unit officers joining local police in a concerted road safety effort.

Great Southern Police District Superintendent Ian Clarke urged patience on the roads after three fatal crashes last weekend.

“Every police officer we have got available in the Great Southern at some stage over the Easter long weekend will be on the road and will be focussing particularly on dangerous driving and people who are doing things that are overtly a risk to everyone else on the road,” Supt Clarke said.

Supt Clarke said police would target fatigue, drink and drug-driving, speeding, failure to use seatbelts, and mobile phone use which contributed to serious and fatal crashes.

He urged drivers to plan their journeys, to stop and combat fatigue, and to avoid the distraction of mobile phones.

“There is going to be a lot of traffic on the roads,” Supt Clarke said.

“We have already witnessed a number of acts of stupidity on the roads which were really only the first days of the school holidays we don’t want to see that continue.”

Police will reinforce the key road safety messages at the annual Fatigue Road Stop today on Albany Highway in conjunction with the Albany RoadWise committee, Main Roads and the City of Albany.

Albany RoadWise chairman Alan Hortin hopes drivers will take the issue of fatigue seriously.

“This year we are encouraging locals and visitors alike to take advantage of the opportunities to stop more regularly on the journey — be that at a coffee-stop provider, a driver-reviver site, a park or cafe,” he said.

“To prevent fatigue, you should swap drivers whenever possible, pull over for a break every two hours, or stop to have a short sleep.”

Double demerits apply until the end of Monday.