Three people have died on the first day of Australia's Christmas holiday season.
A passenger died in a two-car crash on the Bruce Highway, about 20km north of Gin Gin in central Queensland, about 12.45pm on Wednesday.
A motorcyclist aged in his 20s was killed hours later after he collided with a taxi in Albert Park, in Melbourne's inner south.
Police believe the taxi was doing a U-turn when the man crashed into it just before 5pm.
Another man later died in Tasmania after his car collided with a vehicle travelling in the opposite direction south of Somerset.
Speed and alcohol may have contributed to the crash, Tasmania police believe.
Queensland Police Assistant Commissioner Mike Keating says his state's death, the nation's first fatality of the 2015 holiday season, is extremely unfortunate and he's urging drivers to take care as they travel to celebrations and holiday destinations.
"We'd like to see the lowest possible road toll that's available to us right across the campaign period," he said.
"That's no more fatalities, no more injury crashes, no more drink drivers, no more drug drivers."
Mr Keating said 273 people had already died on Queensland's roads in 2015, which is 16 more than over the same period in 2014.
The road toll in Victoria stands at 251, up from 246 last year.
Police around Australia are increasing safety operations over the Christmas period, including stepping up drug and alcohol testing.
South Australian police on Wednesday conducted the first round of "pop-up" breath tests in metropolitan areas, targeting daytime drink driving between 12pm and 3pm.
Two motorists were over the limit, while three returned positive drug tests.
"Two drivers caught today is still two too many," Superintendent Anthony Fioravanti said of the drink driving.
"I'm asking the community not to put themselves and other road users at risk."
Meanwhile, Tasmania Police research shows motorists are most likely to have an accident on Christmas Eve.
The danger period of noon to 8pm was identified by examining the state's crash statistics from the past five years.
* The national road toll period runs from 0001 December 23, 2015 until 2359 January 3, 2016, local times.
