January will see ACT Policing target speeding motorists in an effort to increase safety on roads in the territory.
ACT road policing acting Sergeant Aaron Murnane said motorists need to be aware of what will happen when things go wrong if they choose to speed.
"Drive to the conditions and keep your speed to the limit," Sergeant Murnane said.
"During COVID, with less traffic on the roads, we saw a lot of drivers developing bad habits, including speeding. Anyone thinking that is still acceptable is wrong.
"In the past 10 years, speed was a factor in 19 deaths on Canberra's roads. That's more than 20 per cent of the 92 deaths since 2012. And I'm sure it's no comfort to the families and friends of those 19 people that every one of those deaths could have been avoided."
Police will be targeting speeding motorists on roads across the ACT, and will issue regular updates on the number of motorists caught speeding during January 2022.
ACT Policing's speed enforcement operations will also be supported by the ACT government's fixed and mobile speed cameras - which are deployed across the ACT and play an important role in acting as a deterrent to those that think speeding is OK.
In addition to fines and demerit points, drivers whose speeding contributes to a collision can face serious charges, including negligent or culpable driving resulting in injury or death, and penalties of up to 14 years imprisonment.
READ ALSO:
-
Thousands without power as aftermath of severe storm continues
-
Woman in hospital after likely shark attack on South Coast
-
Aboriginal leaders blast anti-vax camp at Old Parliament House
This campaign forms part of the joint ACT road safety strategy 2020-2025 which prioritises a "vision zero" approach to road safety.
Throughout the year, the multiagency road safety strategy targets specific issues and behaviour which contribute to death and serious injuries on Canberra's roads, with speeding among those concerns.
