With school holidays in full swing Ipswich is likely to experience an influx of travellers on the road.
Queensland Ambulance Service (QAS) has issued a warning to residents in the hope to reduce the road toll this festive season.
“The main thing we want you to remember is that decisions you make on the road don’t just affect you but everyone in your vehicle and other road users,” Advanced care paramedic Kent Jackson said.
“A split second crash can result in a lifetime of rehabilitation or potentially cut a life short completely.
“Even the slightest of distraction can lead to sudden crashes so we encourage all drivers to take responsibility into their own hands and constantly scan for hazards.
“This includes scanning before indicating, changing lanes and especially keeping a lookout for motor bikes which can be harder to spot.
“This also extends to more preventable distractions such as tucking the phone away out of sight on silent and making sure that the kids have plenty of entertainment to keep them busy.
Audio regarding road safety advice ahead of the school holidays.
QAS has also issued a message of warning to those planning on drinking at the family Christmas lunch.
“People with a few drinks under their belts do need to be careful before getting behind the wheel,” he said.
“Don’t put your licence or life at risk, the danger when driving with alcohol is that it affects driving performance and slows down the reaction time causing poor judgement.”
QAS recommends residents pack a first aid kit in the car and download the Emergency Plus application to their smartphones especially when travelling through remote areas.
“The emergency plus app displays your phone GPS coordinates, longitude and latitude which can be passed on verbally to our emergency medical dispatchers when calling triple 0,” he said.
“If you have the app on your phone it can go a long way in saving the life of a loved one in a time of critical emergency.”
