POLICE will flood east coast highways from Victoria to Queensland this weekend as part of a coordinated operation aimed at driving down the rate of devastating crashes.
Highway patrol police will be out in force on major Hunter thoroughfares from Friday, including the M1, for Operation Border to Border.
Newcastle highway patrol Chief Inspector Thomas Barnes told the Newcastle Herald the multi-agency effort with Queensland and Victoria police would ensure officers were highly visible along the coast.
"Essentially it's aimed at reducing serious injury collisions and fatalities, which continue to occur despite the best efforts of police," he said.
"We're trying to make sure people get home safely and don't place themselves and others at risk."
The operation coincides with the start of NSW public school holidays and a big weekend of sporting events, with a high volume of traffic is expected on major roads.
"It's also about deterrence - we're trying to prevent offences occurring, but also to detect and prosecute offences when they do take place," Chief Inspector Barnes said.
Police warned those doing the wrong thing should expect to get caught, and anyone getting in the car from Victoria to Queensland could expect to see cops on the road.
But, with the region's road toll continuing to rise this year, their number one priority is to prevent tragedy.
"We hope that no one's going to die," Chief Inspector Barnes said.
He said police had a particular focus on speed, impaired driving and fatigue.
Being behind the wheel while tired is especially an issue during school holidays when families are travelling longer distances, he said.
"You don't necessarily have to be breaking a road rule ... to be placing yourself and others at risk," he said.
Drivers should take regular rest breaks, and passengers should speak up if they notice signs of fatigue.
Operation Border to Border involves all local police in the Newcastle Hunter sector and commands all along the east coast of Australia, across the three policing organisations.
"It's a coordinated effort and it goes to show the level of importance this has across those three jurisdictions," Chief Inspector Barnes said.
"We're all on the same page and getting together to make sure if you're getting in a car in Victoria and heading towards Queensland, you will see a lot of highway patrol police out and about keeping you safe."
It marks the start of a busy period for Newcastle police, with the long weekend coming up on October 7 and phase two of Operation Border to Border after that.
