Police are reminding motorists to slow down and stay safe over the long weekend, particularly in regional areas where travel is now allowed under the current public health orders.

Stay-at-home rules still apply to everyone living or staying in Greater Sydney, including the Blue Mountains and Wollongong local government areas (LGAs), as well as some regional LGAs like Bourke and Narromine.

People who live in regional or rural areas that are not subject to stay-at-home restrictions can travel to other areas not under stay-at-home restrictions.

The Walgett shire is the latest Western Plains LGA to exit stay-at-home orders from Friday 1 October.

Police have said it is essential that all drivers planning on travelling anywhere in NSW this long weekend comply with the existing Public Health Orders.

Operation October Long Weekend 2021 started at 12.01am today (Friday 1 October 2021) and concludes at 11.59pm on Monday 4 October 2021.

The government announced earlier this week that the customary double-demerits process would be suspended for the duration of the October Long Weekend to give people a break.

Despite this, government officials and police both say this was in no way a green light for drivers to break the rules this weekend and Traffic and Highway Patrol officers would still be out in force as usual

Traffic and Highway Patrol Commander, Assistant Commissioner Stephen Hegarty, said police will be targeting motorists breaking the law across the state, with a focus on regional areas not under stay-at-home orders, where more cars are expected on the road.

"Police still have the power to fine, charge or suspend the licence of any driver breaking the road rules and endangering lives," Assistant Commissioner Hegarty said.

“This long weekend, we’ll be targeting drink, drug, distracted and dangerous driving (Four Ds), speeding, and driving while tired, among other offences, across NSW – especially in regional areas where travel is permitted.

“As always, our focus remains the safety of the community across the state. We want all road users to return home to their loved ones."

New commander of the Orana Mid-Western Police District Superintendent Danny Sullivan echoed Assistant Commissioner Hegarty's words, adding the Four Ds were all completely preventable contributors to traffic accidents which can have huge implications for the district.

"We're not only talking about impacts on friends and family - many of the LGAs in our region are in lockdown because we're protecting our public health system," Superintendent Sullivan said.

"These behaviours may end up with you getting hospitalised or killed and by preventing them, you're helping the public health system.

"The last thing we want is preventable behaviour being the reason why someone will end up in our hospitals. We will be doing our part this weekend to keep the community safe and want the community to be doing their part as well."

Police will also continue to monitor travel in and out of regional areas, including random checks on people leaving Greater Sydney and other areas under stay-at-home orders to ensure they have a permit to do so.

So far this year, 203 people have died in crashes on NSW roads – 147 of those in regional areas. For the same period last year, 219 people died in crashes in NSW – 143 of those in regional areas.