‘Risky time’: festive-season alert for emergency spike
Emergency services are preparing for one of the deadliest periods of the year, with data revealing spikes in drownings, alcohol-related injuries and road accidents during the festive season.
An average of three people will drown every day from Christmas to New Year’s in 2024, making the coming period a particularly high-risk period for those traveling to unfamiliar or remote locations.
Royal Life Saving warned that at least 139 people died in drownings last summer, with almost half of them adults aged 55 and over.
30 percent of them are people born abroad.
“The festive season is a time for relaxation, social gatherings and celebrations, but we know this is the riskiest time to be around water,” chief executive Justin Scarr said.
Dr Scarr added that alcohol was often a factor in summer drownings.
“These elements combine to increase the risk of drowning, especially in inland waterways (rivers and lakes, backwater pools and unsupervised beaches),” he said.
The warning comes as new data shows alcohol and other drug-related ambulance calls rose by an average of 25 per cent in most states in the last two weeks of the year.
New Year’s Day is often the worst day of the year for alcohol-related harm; New Year’s Eve comes right after and is followed by Christmas Day.
“The festive season brings people together, but it’s also a time of higher risk for the harms of alcohol,” said Monash University senior research fellow Rowan Ogei.
He added that it is very important for people to take care of each other during the holidays.
Authorities are also concerned about rising road tolls as many Australians hit the highways to visit family or go on holiday road trips.
“Whether you’re hitting the interstate to visit friends and family, heading to a resort or staying a little closer to home this Christmas, we urge everyone to make life-saving choices,” said Federal Emergency Management Secretary Kristy McBain.
Data from the National Road Safety Center shows 1,332 people died on Australian roads in the 12 months to November; This represents a three percent increase compared to the same period the previous year.
Despite dramatic improvements in vehicle safety during this period, the country is expected to record its highest road toll in at least 15 years.
Police across the country will increase patrols for the festive season and Victoria police have caught 328 impaired drivers since holiday operations began on December 18.
There is also a typical increase in domestic assaults during the Christmas and New Year period, as complex family dynamics, stress and increases in alcohol and drug use lead to increased violence.
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