Don't let your family find police on their doorstep instead of you this Christmas.
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That's the message from ACT Policing after a "horror 24 hours" on Canberra's roads.
Their warning comes after it was revealed a man who was thrown from his vehicle after crashing over an embankment in Canberra's north on Tuesday night was not wearing a seatbelt.
The 27-year-old Gilmore man was travelling west on Horse Park Drive at Kenny when police say he lost control of his vehicle shortly before 10pm.
He sustained head, chest and back injuries and was transferred to a Sydney hospital in a serious condition.
ACT police crash investigators have not ruled out speed, driver distraction or fatigue as possible causes of the crash.
Head of traffic operations Susan Ball described it as a "horror 24 hours" on ACT roads.
"On Tuesday we received the sad news that the 82-year-old woman involved in the collision on Yamba Drive, Farrer, had passed away and today we have a 27-year-old man lying in hospital in a serious condition," Sergeant Ball said.
Investigators are in contact with the Gilmore man's family and will attempt speak to him when his condition has improved.
Sergeant Ball said it was a "miracle" he survived the crash at all.
"I cannot stress enough the importance of wearing a seatbelt. The safest place to be in your vehicle is strapped in with your seatbelt. It's a muscle-memory action, it takes a few seconds.
"It is quite a miracle, particularly if he didn't have his seatbelt on, that he has survived."
Meanwhile an investigation is continuing into a crash on Yamba Drive which killed an elderly couple and left another driver with serious injuries last Thursday.
Police will examine footage from ACTION buses and collate witness statements in order to determine what caused the smash at the intersection of Dookie and Yamba Drives at Farrer.
"The family are devastated by the loss of their parents at this time. We've seen two elderly people pass as a result of this collision, particularly at this time of year," Sergeant Ball said.
"There's no good time for people to die on our roads but it's particularly sad around the Christmas, New Year period."
With high volumes of traffic expected to roll out of the capital on Christmas Eve, Sergeant Ball pleaded with motorists to have patience and to focus on the task at hand.
"We're now up to 13 fatalities for the year and no emergency services worker likes attending a serious collision or a fatality. None of us like standing in hospital wards with family members waiting for serious or sad news and we don't want to have to knock on your door this Christmas with the saddest news you'll ever hear."
The Christmas double demerit period will run from December 24 until January 3.
If you witnessed either crash, contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000, or via act.crimestoppers.com.au.
