A state-wide road safety initiative was launched today to cut the number of fatal crashes during the September school holidays.

And beware Operation Spring Break will see more RBTs rolled out.

Jessica Bell reports.

TRANSCRIPT

On average 20 Queenslanders are killed in fatal car crashes during the September school holidays.

Jack Dempsey, Queensland Police Minister: “This is a traffic initiative going state wide to reduce the amount of deaths on our roads but also to keep everyone safe this special school season.“

Last year’s operation detected almost 1,500 drink drivers and more than 1,000 people not wearing a seat-belt.

The Police Commissioner says this year officers will target these offences.

Commissioner Ian Stewart, Queensland Police: “We want to make sure that not one Queenslander loses their life during this period, so we’ll do our bit, we’re asking you to do yours.”

The operation will run from September 19 to October 10.

Road safety wasn’t the only holiday message delivered today.

Emergency Services demonstrated the need to take care when building campfires, and highlighted the associated risks.

Minister Dempsey says it’s important to be prepared and to correctly position, light and extinguish campfires.

Jack Dempsey, Queensland Police Minister: “It’s quite simple: please, if you’ve got a campfire and you’re finished with it, make sure you put it out with water, you attend to it properly, you have it properly secured and you think of other people.”

Around 40 children suffer serious burns from campfires that are not properly extinguished each year.

Jo McHugh is one of them.

She has an important message for others camping during the school holidays.

Jo McHugh, Burns Victim: “Put out fires with water not sand.”

Jessica Bell, QUT News.