Editorial: Do not invite tragedy home this Christmas

If you reckon you’ll be all right to have a few frothies then get in the car, an innocent family could pay the price.

And don’t just think of your night out on the booze.

Too often cases come before our courts where the accused has had a few drinks then been sensible enough to get a taxi home, or even have arranged for someone to collect them.

But then they get up the next morning and drive to work, or around to the corner shop to get the paper.

All the while there is still enough alcohol in their system to put them over the limit.

Magistrates generally understand that the degree of aggravation in their driving is negated by them having done the right thing the night before.

But it’s drink-driving all the same.

There are a whole range of scenarios then that mean our police services, our paramedics and our other emergency service workers will be on tenterhooks over the next couple of weeks.

It doesn’t really need to be said that it’s the Christmas season.

It can be a wonderful time of celebration with family, with friends, with our work colleagues at the end of what for many will have been a long, challenging year.

Police certainly don’t want people to not get into the Christmas spirit.

But they quite rightly don’t want things to get out of hand, which can so easily happen.

It is why police want the community to be aware of their three-week traffic campaign due to start on Friday.

Operation Roadwise will run right through until January 8.

The usual crash suspects will be in sight  – drivers’ use of drink and drugs, drivers with a lead foot.

It is indeed reassuring to hear the warnings from senior police officers at commands throughout the state.

To put it simply, bad drivers just won’t be tolerated.

And given the time of the year, our roads will be extra busy making any foolhardy behaviour are even riskier proposition.

If you reckon you can’t help yourself, then put your car keys in the kitchen drawer and get a taxi.

The wrong decision will have a tragic outcome, and none of us want that this Christmas.