Police are warning motorists not to take any chances on the roads this long weekend, after noticing an increase in significant speeding and drink-driving offences in the region in the past week.
Newcastle-Hunter Highway Patrol sector Inspector Mick Buko said there had been some "really big" offences recently - particularly on the M1 Pacific Motorway and the New England Highway.
"We've really got to stop that from happening and it comes down to people owning their own behaviour when they get behind the wheel of a car," Inspector Buko said.
"I don't know what's behind it, but I know one thing for sure - there are less cars on the road, so it's much easier to catch people doing the wrong thing."
Among the alleged offences this week, two people were charged for allegedly street racing on the New England Highway about 11.30pm on Tuesday.
Police patrolling at Belford, between Maitland and Singleton, spotted a red Subaru WRX and a silver Ford Falcon travelling south allegedly at speeds of more than 170km/h in the 110km/h zone.
Officers stopped the cars after following them for about 1km and the pair - a 23-year-old woman and a 55-year-old man - were issued Field Court Attendance Notices.
They have been charged with street racing and will face Singleton Local Court on November 25.
The NSW government announced earlier this week that the usual double-demerit penalties would not apply this October long-weekend, in order to give people across the state a break as they continue through a drawn-out COVID-19 lockdown.
But the government and police say the absence of harsher public holiday penalties is not an excuse to break the law.
Inspector Buko told the Newcastle Herald earlier this week there would be as many police on the Hunter's roads as there would be during a normal long-weekend operation, despite double-demerits not being in force.
