“The rushing is never worth it”: staying safe on the roads this Easter

Admissions following incidents of road trauma saw an increase of almost 10 per cent in 2023 compared to the previous year, with holiday periods known to see significant spikes.

In particular, more than one-third of trauma admissions to The Alfred during the Easter period (mid-March to mid-April) are the result of road accidents.  This trend has repeated for the last three years, and is something trauma clinician Dr Panagiota Kakridas hopes won’t happen again.

“We always see an increase in presentations to the emergency department over Easter and other holiday periods,” said Dr Kakridas. “We particularly see high numbers of admissions from road traffic accidents, mainly because there's a lot more people on the roads.

“During the holiday period we often see car accidents where a whole family is involved, especially if they're going to visit relatives or friends.”

Trying to rush from one holiday event to the next is something that Head of Research at the National Trauma Research Institute and Alfred trauma physician Dr Christopher Groombridge says can increase the risk of unfortunate accidents on the roads.

“If you’re going to have an accident, it’s going to be when you’re not paying attention and you’re rushing to get somewhere,” said Dr Groombridge. “The rushing is never worth it.

“We know road trauma can have life changing consequences, but even more minor accidents can still impact significantly.

“If you have an accident and spend a couple of weeks in ICU, it takes a very, very long time to come back from that. Head injuries, limb injuries, pelvic injuries – these are things that can be associated with disability in the long term.”

“The holidays are a great opportunity for spending quality time with family and friends,” said Dr Kakridas. “On the road, make sure you’re take your time, staying alert and use rest break on longer drives so you stay safe and make the right kind of memories this Easter.”