With school holidays on us, families are being urged to stay safe.

This includes responsible behaviour at the beach and on our roads.

Celeste Skinner reports.

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The RACQ says speeding, not wearing seat belts, fatigue, and alcohol and drugs are key factors in road crashes.

And staying alert could save your life and those of other road users.

Joel Tucker, RACQ Senior Road Safety Advisor: “RACQ’s advice to motorists these school holidays is to avoid driver distraction, because ninety per cent of RACQ members believe that driver distraction is more of a problem now than it was five years ago.”

Queensland’s surf season officially opened today.

Millions of people visit Queensland beaches in the hotter months, and the message is: take care near the surf, and in the sun.

Graham Quirk, Lord Mayor: “Please swim between the flags, the flags are there for a reason, they’re there for people’s safety.”

Olivia Wilson, Jupiters Summer Surf Girl entrant: “Slip, slop, slap-so make sure you drink plenty of water, put sunscreen on, wear a hat, sit under shade as much as possible.

After the opening of the surf season in Queen Street Mall the organisation held a fundraising event.

Surf Live Saving Queensland has brought the beach to Queen Street Mall by launching their annual fundraising event ‘Up the Tower’. The day aims to raise money for Surf Life Saving Queensland and to create beach safety awareness.

Eight and a half thousand fully qualified surf life savers will be dedicating their time to ensuring the public’s safety, but the Lord Mayor urges everyone to do what they can to make their job easier.

The predicted weather for the school holidays is looking great for the outdoors.

Pradeep Singh, Senior Forecaster: “Similar sort of conditions that we are experiencing now, the only change that’s happening is we will probably get into quite hot conditions from about the middle of next week.”

The downside of school holidays – packed roads.

By late this afternoon traffic had built steadily on all major exits from the city.

Celeste Skinner, QUT News.