Each year, without fail, at Easter and Christmas, Tasmania Police remind motorists to slow down, rest and pay attention to other road users.

Strong campaigns against the “fatal five” are rolled out time and time again to ensure people take care when they are behind the wheel of a vehicle.

There are more people on the road during holiday times as people commute to spend time with family or take trips during their holidays to explore some of the more remoter parts of our state.

However, nearly every year, without fail, there are people who don’t take heed of that message.

Holiday time can bring out the risk takers in some people, or the attitude that ‘it will never happen to me.’

Crashes can ruin lives and although they are not intentional, inattention to safe driving messages can make it more likely for someone to be involved in an accident.

Even if everyone is doing the right thing, the increased traffic on the road alone means a heightened risk for something to go wrong.

Despite this, it seems this Easter the message may be getting through.

So far, fingers crossed, we have not had any fatal or significant crashes over this Easter holiday period.

However, there has been an increase in the amount of people who have been issued with infringement notices for drinking and driving and returning positive oral fluid tests for drugs.

With more people on the road at holiday time, it has never been more important to take heed of the road safety message.

Easter is a time for families to be together, it should not be a time where any family is ripped apart by a crash.

Everyone has a right to be safe at Easter, to spend time eating chocolate at 10am or to chase down the clues the Easter Bunny has left behind.

It’s also a time to spend eating lavish Easter lunches, or going out together to have adventures in other parts of the state.

Operations Crossroads is held over the Easter long weekend and is held again at Christmas time, during the period between Christmas and New Years.

*Statistics and facts were correct at the time of writing with information from Tasmania Police.