NSW Police Force mark 100 years of road safety

The centennial will be officially marked today with a convoy of more than 50 NSW Police vehicles travelling from Eastern Creek, across the Sydney Harbour Bridge and along Macquarie Street to the Sydney Opera House.

The milestone coincides with the start of National Road Safety Week which raises awareness about road safety, road trauma and highlights that everyone plays a role when it comes to arriving home safely.

In 1925, Inspector General James Mitchell established the Public Safety Bureau, a dedicated unit of police to target speeding drivers and general traffic offences due to the increase of motor vehicles on the roads.

This year also marks 50 years of what is now known as the Traffic & Highway Patrol Command.

In 1975, Police Commissioner Fred Hanson and Police Minister John Lloyd Waddy established the NSWPF Highway Patrol which saw a change in uniform, distinctive, marked vehicles and new lightbars and sirens.

Traffic and Highway Patrol was officially established in 2011 as a statewide model. This brought all Highway Patrol officers under one command structure, while geographically they remained based at more than 50 locations across NSW.

Other key dates include:

• 1935 - the first road safety campaign sees a billboard encouraging drivers to "drive safely" on the Harbour Bridge;
• 1937 - speed limits introduced - 48km/h in built up areas and 80km/h in unlit areas;
• 1968 - breathalysers introduced with 0.08 BAC limit;
• 1969 - demerits points scheme introduced in NSW;
• 1971 - wearing of seatbelts becomes compulsory in NSW;
• 1980 - BAC level reduced to 0.05 due to the higher risk of fatal or serious injury collisions occurring with a reading above 0.05;
• 1982 - stationary RBTs introduced. Deaths on the road dropped by approximately 300 (or 23%) the first year;
• 1997 - double demerits introduced over long weekends;
• 2001 - 40km/h school zones introduced at all schools in NSW;
• 2005 - automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) - by 2009 technology allowed for reading of 6 number plates per second.
• 2007 - roadside drug testing introduced to deter people from driving with illicit drugs in their system;
• 2024 - new roadside drug tests introduced which make results available on the spot, saving more than 55,000 hours of police time.

In 2024, NSW Police conducted more than 3.4 million random breath tests. That's more than 9,500 tests carried out every day on average.

National Road Safety Week is an annual initiative of the Safer Australian Roads and Highways (SARAH) Group, which was launched by Peter Frazer OAM, following the tragic loss of his daughter Sarah at a road crash.

Tragically in 2024, 338 people were killed on the state's roads, with 70 per cent of those in regional NSW and around 40 per cent related to speeding.

Minister for Police and Counter-terrorism Yasmin Catley said:

"For a century, what is now the NSW Police Force Traffic & Highway Patrol has stood as a constant presence on our roads saving lives and keeping communities safe with a dedication that often goes unseen but never unappreciated.

"Marking 100 years of road safety in the NSW Police Force is not just about looking back - it's about recognising the thousands of officers whose grit, discipline, and quiet courage have protected countless lives from tragedy on our roads, with some themselves making the ultimate sacrifice.

"This centenary is a chance to honour a special legacy - 100 years of service, from back streets to highways, with every kilometre patrolled helping to save lives."

Quotes attributable to NSW Minister for Roads Jenny Aitchison:

"Keeping the people of NSW safe on our roads is one of our highest priorities.

"I want to thank the NSW Police for the critical role in road safety that they have played for 100 years.

"As first responders at crash scenes, in traffic management and in enforcement, the Highway Patrol are there for the NSW community on the frontline saving lives every day.

"The NSW Government strongly supports National Road Safety Week that reminds us everyone has a part to play in safer roads.

"The theme in 2025 is 'Drive So Others Survive', with road users encouraged to make a road safety pledge. So far, more than 72,000 pledges have already been taken online."