WITH the Easter long weekend and school holidays fast approaching, Southern Downs residents can expect to see a big increase in the amount of traffic on the road.

Officer in charge of the Warwick Police Jamie Deacon said there would be an increased police presence on roads around the state during this time.

“The Operation Easter Road Safety campaign will commence on Thursday with phase one running for the Easter long weekend, ending March 28,” he said.

“Phase two will then run from March 28 to April 10 to coincide with school holiday travellers.

“The operation is basically targeting all things concerned with road safety.

“There will be high visibility policing on highways as well as enforcement and covert operations.”

Senior Sergeant Deacon said with the increase of traffic there was an increased risk on the roads.

“We are geographically in the fatigue zone,” he said.

“Being close to the bigger centres such as Brisbane and the Gold Coast, the temptation is to push on.”

Senior Sergeant Deacon urged drivers to plan their trip and stop for regular breaks.

“Police reinforce the message to drive safely,” he said.

“Drivers need to adjust to the road conditions. If it’s wet or busy, slow down.

“It’s far better to take a bit longer but get there safely.”

Warwick and District Road Safety Group chairman Graham Buchner said many drivers were not driving for the conditions.

“Common sense tells you to slow down if conditions are bad,” he said.

“People see the 100kmh sign and think they can just do that all the time.”