Police urge locals and visitors to stay safe this Easter after horror year on roads

Police are asking locals and visitors to take safety seriously over the weekend after what’s already been a horror year on our roads.

Officer in Charge of Bundaberg Police Senior Sergeant Michael McGarry and Officer in Charge of Bundaberg District Road Policing Unit Marty Arnold are urging locals and visitors to be safe over the Easter weekend.

As the region's roads get busier with Brisbane's lockdown lifted and in the lead up to Easter, Bundaberg police are urging people to remember the fatal five during the long weekend.

Officer in Charge of Bundaberg Police Senior Sergeant Michael McGarry said they want people to get to their loved ones safely.

Snr Sgt McGarry said people in the region can expect to see police out and about, with random breath testing occurring.

"We want people to slow down, we want people to have a rest if they're feeling fatigued, we don't want driver to be distracted," he said.

"They're messages we've been talking about for decades, we want people to get to their destinations safely."

It's already been a horror few months on the region's roads with 11 fatalities.

Officer in Charge of Bundaberg Police Senior Sergeant Michael McGarry and Officer in Charge of Bundaberg District Road Policing Unit Marty Arnold are urging locals and visitors to be safe over the Easter weekend.

 

Officer in Charge of Bundaberg District Road Policing Unit Marty Arnold said they've already noticed more cars on the road.

"The unfortunate reality is anytime we have a public holiday there is an influx of motorists on the highway networks," he said.

"The same message applies, the fatal five are the fatal five for that reason people just need to adhere, take their time and watch their fatigue which is a high cause of fatal crashes.

"Any loss of life is a tragedy, nearly all of them are preventable it's very rare it's the road or the car that's the problem.

"We just ask people to slow down and take their time, it's better to get to your destination five minutes late than not at all."

With some licenced businesses operating under extended hours police will also be cracking down on alcohol fuelled violence.

It comes after a man was charged for allegedly punching an officer in the face on a night out last weekend.

"We're always concerned about alcohol fuelled violence no matter what time of the year it is, we'll have plenty of police out and about and we'll be working with the officers of liquor and gaming to make sure when people do attend our licenced premises they're having a safe and enjoyable time," Snr Sgt McGarry said.

"It's not common (coward punches) and it's good and that pleases us, but when it does happen we implement a zero tolerance approach and we enforce the full force of the law on those people because it can have devastating consequences.

"We ask those people either visiting or that live in our community to have a safe and enjoyable time, particularly if they're using our roads or attending our licenced premises, they will see plenty of police out and about but if they're doing the right thing they've got nothing to worry about."

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Originally published as Police urge locals and visitors to stay safe this Easter after horror year on roads