Excessive traffic on the roads is as synonymous with Christmas as tinsel and steamed pudding.

With this comes an extra police presence and the enforcement of double demerit points as a way to increase safety of road users. These will be enforced from Friday, December 22 to Monday, January 1st which will be in place for 11 days over the Christmas and New Year period, and are inclusive of all speeding, seatbelt, motorcycle helmet and mobile phone offences.

Parkes, Forbes and Lachlan Shire Councils' Road Safety and Injury Prevention Officer, Melanie Suitor said double demerit points have proven to be an effective road safety initiative to make holiday travel safer for everyone on New South Wales roads.

"Since their introduction in 1997, double demerit points have proven to be an effective deterrent to unsafe driving during busy holiday periods," Ms Suitor said. "Research has showed that casualty crashes (where someone is killed or injured) decreased 30 per cent when double demerit points were in operation."

“Traffic on roads to popular holiday destinations, increases by up to 50 per cent during the Christmas and New Year holiday period, so it is important to obey all the road rules and drive safely."

Parkes Highway Patrol Acting Sergeant Joshua Tolley is warning drivers that they are at greatest risk of losing their license during this period. 

"There will be more police on the roads which means a greater chance of drivers being caught if they are doing the wrong thing," Officer Tolley said. "Too often we see the tragic aftermath of drivers making poor decisions. No-one wants to get a fine, lose their license or worse still be involved in a crash."

"So, make sure you give yourself plenty of time to travel, don't speed, drive to the conditions, wear your seatbelt, avoid distractions, make sure you're well rested and if you've been drinking or have taken drugs - don't drive."

Ms Suitor said it was important to check your vehicle before heading off.

"Drivers should also check that their vehicle is ready for the journey too - check the brakes and tyres, check the levels of your engine oil, coolant and windscreen washer reservoir, make sure all your lights and indicators are working and ensure you have clear view," Ms Suitor said.

Transport NSW advise that while a number of major regional roads projects will be shutting down during the holiday break, many projects will still have reduced speed limits in place. Motorists are reminded to drive to the conditions and follow the directions of signs. Even when road crews are not on site there may be damage to the road condition that requires lower speed, so stick to the limit.

Transport NSW has fast-tracked the onboarding and training of councils, including all Western Plains councils, to upload data in real time to Live Traffic NSW. This means information on emergencies or planned incidents will be fed directly through to motorists through major navigation apps including Google and Apple maps.

"We want everyone to make it to and from their holiday destinations safely this Christmas," Acting Sergeant Tolley said.

To access Live Traffic NSW