MILLICENT streets have been patrolled in recent days by an additional three uniformed police officers on motorbikes and in an unmarked patrol car.
The officers are based in Adelaide and are part of the Traffic Support Branch of SAPOL.
Such officers are routinely sent to various parts of South Australia.
Meanwhile, Operation Safe Holidays got under way on Saturday.
It is SAPOL’s annual, high-visibility road safety operation encouraging the community to take responsibility for their actions on the state’s roads.
Police will be focused on the five key factors which contribute to road fatalities and serious injury crashes each year.
The factors, commonly called the “Fatal Five”, are speeding, drink or drug driving, seatbelt use, dangerous road users and distracted drivers.
Traffic Support Branch officer-in-charge Superintendent Bob Gray said police know that changing driver behaviour in relation to these factors will lower the road toll and the number of serious injury crashes that have such a terrible impact each year on South Australian roads.
“Ultimately drivers who ignore these factors are making a choice to disregard their own, or someone else’s safety,” Supt Gray said.
“We know that mobile phones distract drivers and that even a few seconds of inattention can have dire consequences.
“Driving is a complex task, requiring drivers to use and coordinate a number of skills and any lapse in concentration increases the risk of the vehicle being involved in a crash.
“Drivers must put their phone down, put it out of reach or turn it off, to ensure their safety along with that of their passengers and other road users.”
