The carnage on NSW roads during the Christmas and New Year period was double that of the previous year with police frustrated at the number of road users not abiding by the law.
During Operation Safe Arrival, which started on December 15 and ended on January 1, 28 people died on NSW roads compared to 14 during the same period in 2016.
"This is very, very sad for us that NSW has had such a horrific road toll this festive season," Deputy Commissioner Catherine Burn told reporters in Sydney on Tuesday.
"I am also bitterly disappointed and frustrated in the fact there are people that are not getting the messages and putting other people's lives at risk."
Ms Burn said many of the fatal crashes were avoidable and a result of "senseless" behaviour by road users.
Speed was a huge factor with more than 20,000 speeding fines given out during the 18-day road safety campaign.
"Many of those people who died, it was completely avoidable and it was senseless," Ms Burn said.
"The fact that we still have so many people that aren't listening is seen by the statistics."
In total, 168 people in 2017 lost their lives on NSW roads because someone was driving too fast.
Officers handed out 250,000 speeding tickets in 2017, with Ms Burn pleading with drivers to obey the road rules and stop the carnage.
"We are seeing people not heeding the law and that is a major problem," she said.
"We have to stop what is happening on our roads."
The deputy commissioner also expressed her disappointment in the road toll for 2018 which is already at three.
