Road safety: police issue urgent road safety plea
A number of people have died on our region's roads in recent weeks
We're told the number of fatal crashes on our region's roads are 'simply unacceptable' - after four people have died on Somerset's roads in recent weeks.
The police say 22 lives have already been lost on our region's roads this year alone.
They're calling for an 'urgent need' to address careless and dangerous driving behaviours.
Chief Inspector Rob Cheeseman, Head of Roads Policing at Avon and Somerset Police said: “In 2023, Avon and Somerset Police attended and investigated 54 fatal Road Traffic Collisions, resulting in the tragic loss of 63 lives. Already in 2024, 22 lives have been lost in fatal collisions in our force area. These numbers are simply unacceptable.
“Most fatal and serious injury collisions are preventable and can be attributed to one or more of the ‘Fatal Five’: Drink and drug driving, excess speed, use of a mobile phone at the wheel, failure to wear a seatbelt, and careless driving. Our officers are seeing thousands of these traffic offences on our roads every month. There is an urgent need to address careless and dangerous driving behaviours.
“Through education and enforcement, we are working to raise awareness of the Fatal Five and encourage behaviour change to prevent serious injury and fatal collisions on our roads. We will continue to conduct operations targeting careless and dangerous driving behaviours to ensure the safety of all road users.”
Read more: Avon and Somerset Police catch hundreds of speeders in day of action