With this increase in traffic comes a plea from medical and emergency service workers to be sensible and responsible, to avoid the horror of road trauma at a time that should be one of joy.

“This is a time of year when lots of people are on the roads and there’s lots of partying and celebrating going on,” Bendigo Health’s acting clinical director of emergency medicine Dr Mark Putland said.

“And it’s a time of year when you really don’t want to be delivering bad news.”

Dr Putland said drinking and distractions, as well as the increase in the number of vehicles on the roads, were factors that could contribute to road trauma at this time of year.

Authorities have flagged fatigue as another major concern in the holiday period, with people taking longer trips than they typically would and sometimes driving at times they would normally be asleep.

While road trauma is most painful for those who have had loved ones killed or injured, the horror takes a toll on those who have to confront it on the job.

Dr Putland said that the emergency department’s doctors and nurses were there to care for people, but they could also “carry the weight of the tragedy with them, often for the rest of their lives”.

This year 281 people have lost their lives on the state’s roads, 36 more than at the same time last year.

Eighteen of these deaths occurred in central Victoria.

This year has already become the third consecutive year that the number of road deaths has risen, but with one week of 2016 to go, Victorians are still being urged to play their part in bringing the climb to a halt.

“Just be mindful of the decisions you’re making about driving at this time of year, particularly after drinking,” Dr Putland said.

“It should be a time when family come together for happy reasons, and it shouldn’t be a time for them to mourn your loss or stand around your bed in the intensive care unit.”