Western Australia Police Commissioner Col Blanch has warned motorists they will face double demerits over the long weekend, while urging the state to get behind the Fremantle Dockers in the AFL grand final.
Double demerits will apply from midnight on Friday until midnight on Monday, as hundreds of thousands of people are expected to travel during the grand final weekend, the Perth Royal Show and the start of the school holidays.
“Whilst (the grand final) is being played in Melbourne, we know there will be hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of West Australians celebrating on the weekend, watching the game, being with families and friends,” Mr Blanch said on Thursday.
“That’s why road safety this weekend and leading into summer is critical.”
His warning came as he stood beside a display of police motorbikes, cars, booze buses and an air wing vehicle. A total of 156 people have been killed on Western Australian roads this year, 18 more than at the same point last year and 24 more than in 2024.
Mr Blanch said officers were focused on preventing further deaths, even if that meant issuing infringements to drivers.
“Our motorists may sometimes see them handing out an infringement notice, but I can tell you, it’s better than attending their loved ones’ houses, telling them that they have died on the roads,” he said.
He added: “The men and women who are behind me, driving the cars, the motorcycles, the buses — they are out there to keep us safe, they are out to ensure that you’re doing the right thing and taking those doing the wrong thing off the road.”
Police will also increase their presence in Fremantle on Saturday, with general duties officers, the Road Policing Command, the regional operations group, canine officers and the mounted branch expected to be deployed.
“Overwhelmingly, West Australians behave themselves and do the right thing, there is always a small number of people who choose not to, and we will be targeting them very quickly,” Mr Blanch said.
The commissioner acknowledged he normally supported Richmond Lions but said he would be barracking for Fremantle this weekend.
“I really want to know what West Australians would not be barracking for the Dockers this weekend, I think we all should,” he said.
