In the lead-up to Christmas, some Western Plains shires were treated to visits by Croydon the Elf.

Snapping a few light-hearted “elfies” with police officers, Croydon was using the Christmas cheer to remind drivers that double demerits apply statewide from Wednesday 24 December 2025 until Sunday, 4 January 2026, targeting high-risk behaviours including speeding, mobile phone use, seatbelt offences and motorcycle helmet breaches.

 A second double demerits period will also be in effect over the Australia Day long weekend, from Friday 23 January to Monday 26 January 2026.

The warning comes at a sobering time.

More than 350 people have lost their lives on NSW roads this year, with police confirming road deaths remain higher than the same time last year.

Police say the message is particularly important for drivers in regional and western NSW, where long distances, high-speed highways and fatigue significantly increase the risk of serious crashes - especially during the busy Christmas and New Year travel period.

Operation Christmas and New Year 2025 has been underway since Friday, 19 December, with high-visibility patrols deployed across the state, including throughout the Central North Police District.

Police have also detected almost 3,000 speeding offences, 231 drink-driving offences and 489 positive drug-driving detections, with more than 116,000 breath tests and 6,330 drug tests conducted.

Local police urge patience and responsibility

Central North Police District Commander Superintendent Gerard Lawson said road safety remained a key focus for police across the region over the holiday period.

“All the police in the Central North Police District will be working hard to ensure the community remains safe over Christmas and New Year,” Superintendent Lawson said.

“This is a time of year when many people are travelling long distances, and I ask motorists to exercise patience on our roads and not add to the risk by speeding, failing to wear seatbelts, or impairing their judgement with alcohol or other substances.

“It’s also about taking responsibility for our behaviour.

"This is a busy and sometimes challenging time of year for many people, and showing patience, tolerance and respect for others is just as important.”

Superintendent Lawson said police would maintain a strong presence in public spaces and on local roads throughout the holiday period.

Croydon the Elf enjoyed a friendly cuppa with Father Christmas and the Grinch, who promised to behave himself and drive carefully over the Christmas season.

Choices behind the wheel matter

Minister for Police and Counter-terrorism Yasmin Catley said police would be out in force across New South Wales, but ultimately road safety depended on the decisions made by drivers.

“Double demerits are in place to reinforce the importance of following the road rules, particularly during busy holiday periods when traffic volumes are higher,” Minister Catley said.

“Every choice on the road has consequences.

"People must take responsibility for their actions and ensure they are not putting themselves or others at risk.”

Traffic and Highway Patrol Commander Assistant Commissioner David Driver said the consequences of risky driving could be devastating.

“The choices drivers make on the road can mean the difference between families reuniting safely or facing tragedy,” he said.

“We encourage passengers to call out dangerous behaviour, and drivers should not get behind the wheel if they have consumed alcohol, taken drugs or are fatigued.”

One of Croydon the Elf’s messages focuses on distraction, and he reminded motorists that illegal mobile phone use during the double demerits period attracts 10 demerit points.

Drivers are reminded:

• • You must park safely to use your phone

• • Full licence holders may use a phone only via Bluetooth or a fixed cradle

• • Learner, P1 and P2 drivers must not use a mobile phone at all while driving

• • Watching videos while driving is illegal

• • Phones may only be used for audio calls, audio playback or navigation if secured in a fixed cradle

Drivers are urged to plan ahead by using the Live Traffic NSW app, visiting livetraffic.com, calling 132 701, or using the TfNSW journey planner at myjourneynsw.info.

Police are also encouraging the public to report dangerous driving behaviour to Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.