QLD Ambo's Urge Mackay & Whitsundays To Be Safe On The Roads These School Holidays

The Queensland Ambulance Service is pleading with motorists to give thought and attention to their travel plans these school holidays. Acting Executive Manager of Clinical Standards and Quality Alex Thomson said each school holidays an increase in traffic is expected on the roads with families and children occupying the vehicles.

“We’re urging anyone thinking of using our roads these holidays to be extra cautious and vigilant to get from A to B safely,” Mr Thomson said.

“We want to ensure that every child leaves the school term in one piece and returns back to their final leg of the school year in the same way.

“It really is up to parents and other road users to ensure they’re fully prepared and alert for their holiday travels.”

Mr Thompson highlighted that as we move into the warmer weather, the vigilance shouldn’t stop just on our roads.

“Accidents happen anytime, anywhere. We need to ensure our kids are well supervised around water and beaches and that everyone has basic first aid and Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) skills to jump into action if needed,” he said.

“A well-stocked and carefully thought out first aid kit can make all the difference when an emergency occurs, and one should be kept in the vehicle when driving long distances.”

Mr Thompson also noted that downloading the Emergency+ phone app prior to travel can assist paramedics to quickly determine your location.

“If you are unsure of your location, this app allows emergency services to get help to you as soon as possible,” he said.

“The app provides exact GPS coordinates that can be relayed by the patient to the Triple Zero (000) call-taker, saving critical time in an emergency.

“In a medical emergency, you want to be the most prepared.  Downloading the Emergency+ app is just another way to be ready in the event of an emergency.”