With Christmas and the holiday season upon us, many people will be heading out on the road to visit friends, family, or begin our holidays. So to enjoy yourself and arrive at your destination safely, take breaks, buckle up, put the phone away - and be aware of the following highway traffic changes if you are heading north or south.

Double-demerit points

NSW Police have advised that double-demerit points come into play from midnight (12.01am) on Thursday December 24 until and 11.59pm on Sunday, January 3, 2021.

They apply for speeding, seatbelt, mobile phone and motorcycle helmet offences.

NSW Police officers will also be targeting other high-risk driver behaviour, including the Four Ds; drink, drug, dangerous and distracted driving.

Minister for Regional Transport and Roads, Paul Toole said road crashes have claimed the lives of 291 people in NSW so far this year and almost half of those fatalities involved speeding.

“Country people make up only a third of NSW’s population but last year deaths on country roads made up two thirds of our road toll - and 79 of those killed on NSW roads so far this year died as a result of crashes on country roads," he said.

“The impact is massive for so many more people, with more than 11,000 injured in road crashes in 2019 alone.

“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.”

Pacific Highway changes

Motorists can expect the following traffic conditions on the Pacific Highway until Sunday, January 10, 2021 while the Woolgoolga to Ballina upgrade is happening, weather permitting.

Heading North?

Transport for NSW has advised there will be no roadwork on the Pacific Highway between Kew and the Queensland border until 6pm Sunday 3 January due to the high traffic volume expected for the school holidays and Christmas and New Year period. Emergency maintenance and safety repair work will be carried out as required.

Heading South?

From Monday 4 January, there will be six days of work on Woodburn-Evans Head Road at Woodburn and Broadwater-Evans Head Road at Broadwater for property access and finishing work. Motorists can expect lane closures, traffic control and a reduced speed limit between 6am and 6pm.

Also from Monday, there will be six days of work on Whites Road, Marozin Road, Redgate Road and Gallon Road at New Italy and Tuckombil Road at Woodburn for property access work, guardrail maintenance and finishing work including paving, drainage and fence installation. Motorists can expect traffic control and lane closures between 6am and 6pm.

Motorists are advised to drive to the conditions and follow the direction of signs and traffic control.

For the latest traffic updates download the Live Traffic NSW http://www.livetraffic.com or call 132 701.