DESPITE getting off to a horror start, Operation Safe Arrival has been a success, according to the local police force.
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Starting on December 20 and ending on January 2, it begun in the worst possible fashion, with a fatality taking place on Glendonbrook Road near Singleton.
However, that proved to be the last death on the roads during the holiday break, much to the delight of Hunter Valley Police District Acting Commander Joanne Schultz.
She said their relationship with the highway patrol team was extremely strong - and a telling factor in drivers remaining safer behind the wheel.
The amount of Random Breath Tests (RBT) conducted was also useful, according to Acting Commander Schultz, with 7664 conducted throughout the operation.
"I was very satisfied, we did have a fatality (on December 21) and that's always a tragedy and one is too many," she said.
"But, overall, the behaviour of road users across the Christmas period was good.
"There was plenty of police presence on the highway and on the back roads and I think we did contribute to keeping the roads safer for those who were using them."
Sergeant Dave Tilbury also said they were thankful for the extra resources they had gained from Sydney, which were still deployed despite the high demand for emergency vehicles during the bushfire crisis.
However, Acting Commander Schultz admitted there was still room for improvement, and provided an insight into the amount of people still doing the wrong thing.
There were five Prescribed Concentration of Alcohol (PCA) offences reported in the region, and 494 infringements were issued, 225 of which were speed-related.
"I feel like sometimes we do get the message out there but unfortunately there are still a lot of people who don't pay attention to those messages," she said.
"They don't consider the risks they're posing to other road users and those issues."
One incident was noted, in particular, when a 45-year-old Sydney woman failed to stop at an RBT in Singleton, and attempted to flee police on the New England Highway.
A collision with the railing then caused the driver to crash into another vehicle.
She was taken to the John Hunter Hospital while crews cleared up the highway, which was temporarily closed.