PORT ADELAIDE defender Darcy Byrne-Jones is pleading with motorists to help keep South Australia fatality free at Easter for the first time in five years.

Byrne-Jones joined the RAA this week to urge the community to think safety first before hitting the road this weekend.

He cautioned the thousands of members heading to Melbourne for Sunday’s Round 5 clash against Carlton to be extra careful on the regional road network where 70 per cent of all fatal crashes occur.

SA has not been fatality free over Easter since 2017.

"We are really excited to hopefully see as many fans as possible come over for the Easter weekend game against Carlton, but our message is to plan your trip and drive safely,’’ Byrne-Jones said.

"It’s going to be very busy on the roads with school holidays and Easter, so plan ahead to take regular breaks so that everyone gets to the game and returns home safely.’’

Twenty-five people died on Australian roads at Easter last year.

Byrne-Jones said lives lost and serious injuries were preventable if people made the right choices behind the wheel.

"Speeding, drugs, mobile phone distractions — they are all choices people make and those choices can have serious consequences on the roads,’’ he said.

"Stay on top of your game to keep yourself, your passengers, and the community safe. Think! Road Safety.’’

RAA Senior Manager Road Safety and Infrastructure Charles Mountain said distraction was among the major contributors to fatal crashes.

"Often this results in people running off the road, roll-over crashes, hitting fixed objects or even running into vehicles coming in the opposite direction,’’ he said.

"Anything to do with phones is a no when you are behind the wheel. But even sometimes more basic things such as fossicking around for that left-over mint in the centre console can cause a problem too, because you are distracted for those critical seconds.’’

Mr Mountain recommended families on long journeys stop for a break every couple of hours.

"Stop and get out and stretch your legs, change drivers if you can. If you are towing a caravan or boat, this is a great opportunity to check over your combinations to make sure everything is as it should be to arrive at your destination safe and ready to enjoy a good long weekend,’’ he said.

"When you are returning to Adelaide, please ensure you allow sufficient time to get back safely, remembering that often the roads are a little more congested as everyone heads back.’’