Editorial: Deaths a prompt to drive safely

Christmas has been ruined for four families in 24 hours thanks to fatal crashes this year.

In the space of 24 hours, Christmas has been ruined for at least five families.

This weekend was a horror one on the region's roads with three people killed in one crash in Atiamuri, and another person dead hours later in Mangakino, and yet another died after a three car crash near Katikati yesterday afternoon.

While the rest of us are caught up in Christmas shopping, the dilemma over what to serve up for Christmas lunch and whether the day is going to run smoothly, for those families there will be an aching gap this festive season - and for many more to come.

The impact on emergency service staff having to attend these accidents can't be underestimated.

While some might think they are simply doing their job, it must be hard to turn off after a shift where they've had to pull bodies out of mangled wrecks or knock on doors to inform families their loved ones will never be coming home again.

We like to think it won't happen to us.

Except that is probably what the 50 people killed on roads in the Bay of Plenty Policing District this year - and their families - thought. Until it did happen to them.

My heart goes out to those whose lives were changed for the worse this weekend.

And let's hope that as we hit the roads to make the most of the summer weather and upcoming holidays we take a little more notice of the road safety messages we have heard so many times.