Over the long weekend police caught more than 100 drivers offending on ACT roads as the territory records its highest road death toll in six years.
It comes after eight people died and almost 70 were injured on NSW roads over the four-day period.
The ACT has recorded 12 road fatalities this year, up from 11 in 2021 and seven the year before.
Double demerits and increased police presence didn't deter some motorists. Five drink drivers were arrested in the capital and a further two tested positive for drugs.
ACT Road Policing Sergeant Travis Mills said police were disappointed in behaviour observed over the weekend.
"The majority of Canberrans do the right thing, the majority of Canberra has traveled to the road conditions and abided by the road rules. There is just a portion of our community that does not and the result of their actions is they put all other road users, our family, our friends at risk," Sergeant Mills said.
A 42-year-old Bonython man was arrested on Saturday after he was caught allegedly riding a motorcycle with stolen plates. Officers intercepted and then forcibly removed the man from the bike after he reached speeds up to 60km/h in excess of the limit on the Monaro Highway, in heavy traffic, while it was raining.
Meanwhile, a 25-year-old ute driver struck and killed an 83-year-old woman on the Barton Highway on Friday. The woman was one of three pedestrians killed in separate incidents that day.
In a separate incident on Sunday a 17-year-old driver was killed in a collision on the Kings Highway near Bungendore.
Sergeant Mills said a series of complex behaviours were behind the recent rise in road fatalities.
"There are a number of of behaviours that contribute to road fatalities and collisions of a serious nature. Routinely, we are seeing speed as a contributing factor, we are seeing impairment as a contributing factor and we're seeing drivers just not paying attention," he said.
"It's incumbent upon all road users to be aware that their actions on the road can have dire consequences. We need to have these conversations around the dinner table. We need to tell our family of what our expectations are, what expectations we have as parents, brothers and sisters.
"Police are routinely frustrated by the flippant disregard to various pieces of road transport legislation."
ACT officers conducted 1,212 random breath tests over the long weekend and issued 85 Traffic Infringement Notices. Another 32 drivers received cautions.
Half of the infringement notices were issued for speeding. Among the other offences were 15 drivers in unregistered vehicles and four unlicenced drivers.
