FOR those touched by the road toll, the Christmas table will be a place short this year, with Wimmera police urging residents to avoid turning Christmas into a time of mourning.
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Wimmera road safety and crime prevention advisor acting Senior Sergeant Di Thomson said fatalities and serious injury collisions had an untold rippled effect.
She said crashes at Christmas devastated communities irreparably.
“For the rest of their life, Christmas time becomes about tragedy,” she said.
“The festivities represent their mother, father, daughter, son, sister or brother who died.
“People don’t overcome that.
“It has such an impact that ultimately that day is forever altered in a way you can never get back.”
Acting Senior Sergeant Thomson said for many, Christmas was a time of painful memories.
“Every year in the lead-up to Christmas it’s hard for people affected by road trauma,” she said.
“A lot of people out there don’t have good memories of this time of year.”
Acting Senior Sergeant Thomson said for emergency services on call over Christmas, the time was often one of dread.
“We're humans and we go to scenes and see things I don’t believe humans are meant to see,” she said.
“Over and over again.
“Emergency services go day in and day out, there’s no way you can lean to cope with it other than learning to do it professionally.
“They all have heightened awareness at Christmas, they don’t want to go to a crash, it’s traumatic to see and deal with. It affects their families too.”
Friday marked the official launch of Operation Roadwise, a 24-day operation aimed at reducing the road toll by targeting the main causes of fatal and serious injury crashes.
"Every year on the anniversary in the lead-up to Christmas it’s hard for people affected by road trauma. A lot of people out there don’t have good memories of this time of year."
- Di Thomson
Police will focus on excessive speed, driver distraction, restraint non-compliance, fatigue and impaired driving.
Acting Senior Sergeant Thomson said residents must take responsibility for their driving and ensure their car was in a safe position.
“Enforcement alone can’t fix the problem,” she said.
“We need the community to do their part as well.
“When we talk about road policing it seems so clinical but the truth of the matter is every number is not just a number it’s a family member.
“Behind every number is a family that might never recover.”
Acting Senior Sergeant Thomson said until they’re touched by the road toll or by a serious injury collision, no one understands the ripple effect involved.
“Someone in a serious injury collision might be in rehab for the rest of their life,” she said.
“You have to think of the consequences involved, I think people don’t give it a thought to the level of trauma for the whole family and often the systematic break down of relationships.”
Acting Senior Sergeant Thomson said police officers would be spending a lot of time on the road this holiday period, away from their families, to ensure residents get home safely.
Acting Senior Sergeant Thomson called on people to put their phones away, drive to conditions, stay sober if driving, be responsible and get home safely.
“Don’t do anything else when you are driving – just drive,” she said.
“I think people need to understand we live in a fast paced society, we want to know what’s going on.
“Nothing is more important than arriving alive. The most effective safety system in the car is the driver.”