Police are alarmed by a sharp rise in the number of drivers caught breaching road rules in the week before Christmas.

In the first six days of the state’s annual pre-Christmas road policing operation, 6970 traffic offences have been recorded across the state.

That’s a 15 per cent rise on the same time last year.

Acting Assistant Commissioner for Road Policing, Justin Goldsmith, says it’s “a concern”.

“There’s high levels of non-compliance out there in the community,” he told Heidi Murphy, filling in for Tom Elliott.

Press PLAY below to hear why police are “alarmed”