Motorists are being warned to take it slow and steady when heading on holidays this Easter long weekend as police prepare for Operation Tortoise.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The operation, which runs from midnight Wednesday to midnight Monday, will target motorists flouting road rules, with double demerit point penalties applied to anyone exceeding the speed limit or not wearing their seatbelt.
For all other offences, motorists will receive an extra demerit point on top of the usual amount.
Lake Illawarra Highway Patrol officer Danny Poole said motorists needed to take care and be patient around notorious bottlenecks like Albion Park and the Kiama Bends.
"The biggest risk is probably just increased load of traffic and people getting impatient, taking risks they wouldn't usually take," he said.
"In the past it has taken people two hours to go from Kiama to Berry."
Senior Constable Poole said the safety warning also applied to motorists who tried to dodge the roadworks by using Jamberoo Mountain Road or Macquarie Pass.
"Jamberoo - that's only a very small road and with the increased traffic there it is sometimes really bad," he said.
"Macquarie Pass as well is where they seem to overtake where they feel like."
Snr Const Poole urged motorists to plan ahead.
He said the best time for motorists to travel to avoid traffic tended to be early morning.
He said every available highway patrol car would be used during the operation to conduct random breath tests, enforce road rules and conduct high-visibility patrols.