Coffs Harbour Second Highest Area in NSW for Drink Driving Charges

Coffs Harbour and Byron Bay have topped the list for the Top Ten Worst areas for Drink Driving in NSW for the last financial year.

While overall figures have declined, more than 17,000 drivers were caught in the year, showing that drink driving is still a key issue across New South Wales.

Coffs Harbour registered 176 drink driving charges for the year, following Byron Bay with 205.

Police are encouraged by the drop in statistics, Assistant Commissioner Michael Corboy of the state's Traffic & Highway Patrol Command said, "a decline in drink and drug-driving, shows that the message is starting to get across, and that the community will not tolerate those who put themselves and others at risk.

“However, it is still alarming to see that there were more than 17,000 drink-drivers, and more than 8,000 drug-drivers on our roads in the last financial year.

“Every one of those drivers or riders have shown a complete lack of regard for not only their own life, but the lives of all others using the road”.

“We will not stop, and we make no apologies for catching and prosecuting anyone who thinks it’s okay to drink or take drugs and drive,” Assistant Commissioner Corboy said.

Drug Driving is also still a large issue for NSW Roads, 152 drivers were charged in Port Macquarie for Drug Driving, making them the second highest area in the state.

The ten worst suburbs throughout the state for drink driving during the financial year were:

1. Byron Bay (205)
2. Coffs Harbour (176)
3. Dubbo (155)
4. Griffith (144)
5. Port Macquarie (144)
6. Goulburn (99)
7. Ballina (85)
8. Blacktown (83)
9. Orange (81)
10. Tweed Heads (79)

The ten worst suburbs throughout the state for drug-driving during the financial year were:

1. Armidale (174)
2. Port Macquarie (152)
3. Goulburn (145)
4. Liverpool (113)
5. Nowra (107)
6. Taree (104)
7. Mudgee (87)
8. South Tamworth (79)
9. Young (77)
10. Griffith (75)