QUEENSLAND Police has issued a warning to school leavers on their way to Schoolies this year.
As tens of thousands of school leavers prepare to travel throughout Queensland over the coming weeks to celebrate the end of their schooling years, police are focused on ensuring these celebrations do not end in tragedy.
With new and inexperienced drivers overrepresented in serious traffic crashes, police will be out patrolling highways, rural roads and beaches, to enforce the road rules and ensure safe driving behaviours.
Safety at Schoolies begins with getting to the destination and ends with getting home safely.
As lives lost on Queensland roads could reach 300 for the year, Superintendent Peter Flanders urged people to consider the consequences of their actions on the road, not just for themselves but also for their passengers, mates, family and the community.
“When it comes to road safety for Schoolies, it’s about arriving safely and considering your actions during the week,” he said.
“P-Platers are a very high-risk age group and we all too often see that they are not invincible on the road, their actions can have direct and very real consequences on their lives and those around them.
“It’s important that young adults understand when making these decisions, that over is over.
“Over the speed limit is over the speed limit, you’re not just a little bit over – over the blood alcohol limit is over, you’re not just a little bit over.
“Getting in the car with someone who has been affected by drugs or alcohol, could mean your life is over”.
Police encourage parents and carers to speak with their school leavers about removing themselves from a situation that feels wrong and to organise a back-up plan, including having a parent or relative pick them up, public transport or rideshare.
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