As the New Year celebrations approach, police have recorded 256 speeding infringements and arrested 23 drivers for drunk driving within 48 hours.
These are cases, police said in a statement, recorded on Saturday and Sunday of this week in which 19 of the 23 drunk driving arrests were made in Suva.
Police had conducted 171 random breath tests and four drivers were arrested in Nadi for driving under the influence.
“Over the past 48-hour period, police recorded a total of 14 drunk driving arrests nationwide, alongside the 256 speeding bookings,” police said.
“The figures came as traffic volumes increased across major highways and urban centres, with families travelling for holidays and end-of-year gatherings.
“The numbers were worrying, given that speeding and drunk driving remained the leading causes of road fatalities in Fiji.”
Officers are expected to maintain an increased presence on the roads as the New Year nears, particularly in high-traffic and accident-prone areas.
Police are urging motorists to slow down, avoid drinking and driving, and plan their travel in advance, warning that reckless behaviour on the roads could have deadly consequences during the festive season.
