SLOW down, stay safe, stay alert, these are all messages we have all heard again and again.

While for some Fatality Free Friday may be shrugged off as 'another road safety campaign' for others like firefighter Darren Welsh the statistics are very real.

"Everyone thinks it won't happen to them, it's the furthest thing from their mind when they hop in the car," he said.

After attending hundreds of accidents in his 25 years as a firefighter Darren has seen the darkest times in the lives of many.

"When you get to an incident it looks like a war zone, car pieces everywhere and generators going," Darren said.

"The first thing that hits your mind is your own friends and family".

As one of the first responders it is often Darren's job to pull the victim from the vehicle.

"It's our job primarily to get the person whether they are dead or alive out of the car" the seasoned firefighter said.

"There are quite a few situations where you walk away wondering whether they are going to live.

"But because you did your job to the best of your ability you know you have given them the best chance possible".

The station officer said although he has grown accustomed to the graphic scenes on our roads there are some cases that stay with him.

"I still remember the first fatal I attended, four teenagers were joyriding early in the morning but wrapped the car around a tree" he said.

"It took us an hour and a half to get them out of the car; it was a huge waste of life.

"We all need to be proactive in road safety, not just wait for the police to enforce it," he said.

Fellow frontline emergency worker Acting Senior Sergeant Lisa Self sees the possibility of a day without a fatality as an achievable one.

"A day like this is a significant reminder to stay safe around schools and not be complacent around familiar areas."

In conjunction with Fatality Free Friday the local police have invited the community to the front of the town hall at midday today.

Police will place a pair of shoes to commemorate each person who has been killed the roads of the Darling Downs in the past year.