School holidays began on June 29 although even if you are not a parent the sudden increase in happy children around town may have tipped you off.

While families take advantage of the time together over the holidays it is a great time to highlight the importance of safe driving practices during school holiday time.

Watching out for children crossing roads around parks and other public areas while driving could save an accident or possibly a life.

Warwick Police Senior Sergeant Lisa Self wanted to stress the importance of the Fatal Five campaign the Queensland Police Service are running.

Previously known as the Fatal Four (Drink driving, drug driving, fatigue and seat belts) had Distraction and Inattention added to the list of dangerous driving factors.

The QPS believe drivers are becoming more and more distracted by mobile phones, complex sound and navigation systems.

According to the Centre for Accident Research and Road Safety - Queensland (CARRS-Q) driver distraction makes up almost one quarter of car crashes.

One of the common causes for driver distraction is using a mobile phone while driving, especially text messaging which was found to be most prominent in young drivers aged between 18 to 24.

A driver using a mobile phone either hand-held or hands-free is four times more likely to have a serious crash resulting in hospital attendance.

The Warwick police will be conducting extra patrols in and around town after catching 3 drink drivers over the weekend.

Please stay safe this holiday season and look out for the safety of others while driving.