A Welby man will face court early next year after refusing to submit to a breath test following a minor accident near Mittagong early yesterday.

He will also defend a charge of driving under the influence after allegedly failing a test at the crash site.

In the five days since Operation Safe Arrival started midnight last Thursday, 8,982 breath tests were conducted in the Greater Hume Region (from Blacktown to Wingecarribee).

There have been 63 people charged with drink driving and 182 others charged with other traffic offences (excluding speeding).

In the Camden Local Area Command alone, 398 people have been booked for speeding with seven others reported for other traffic matters.

Mittagong Highway Patrol’s Senior Constable Sue Roberts said the ‘don’t drink drive’ message seems to be getting through to local drivers this year.

However, she did say patrol crews are still booking many motorists for driving while disqualified or driving unregistered vehicles.

As of yesterday morning, the national holiday road toll stood at 33, with NSW accounting for 21 deaths including two in the Highlands on Wednesday.

Greater Hume Region Traffic Services Commander, Sgt Jim Prendergast said police had used all of the major weapons to try and reduce the road toll but were having little success.

He revealed the Hume Region’s entire road toll is 26 more than for the same time last year.

“We have identified the problems in the Local Area Command (Camden) and have tossed a lot of resources at it but we’re still at a minus compared to last year,” he said.

NSW Traffic Services Commander Ron Sorrenson told radio yesterday that “all the silver bullets have been fired”.

“The RBT has been introduced, seatbelts have been introduced, speed cameras have been introduced and there are no more big-ticket items to introduce,” Chief Superintendent Sorrenson said.