Calls for more care on Wiltshire roads during summer months
July and August see more people killed or seriously injured on UK roads than any other time of the year
Road users in Wiltshire are being urged to take more care on the road during the summer months.
The call comes from the county's Road Policing Unit (RPU), with National Police Chiefs Council figures revealing a summer spike in serious and fatal road collisions caused by the Fatal 5 offences.
The Fatal 5 include speeding, using a phone whilst driving, drink and drug driving, dangerous or careless driving and not wearing a seatbelt.
Over the last five years, over 5,400 deaths or serious injuries have been caused in crashes where one of the fatal 5 was a contributing factor.
Speeding is the lead cause, with drink and drug driving the second most common contributor.
Sergeant Will Ayres, from the RPU in Wiltshire says there are a number of different reasons why there are more collisions at this time of the year.
He said: "We have a lot of people transiting through the country going on holidays, travelling to see families and friends driving on roads that they're perhaps not familiar with.
"We also have a vast increase in vulnerable road users such as cyclists and motorcyclists in the in the nicer weather."
Sergeant Ayres told us that, because of the warmer weather, riders don't always dress appropriately, meaning their injuries are more severe should they be involved in a crash.
He added that the higher amount of social activity taking place, such as barbecues, and people being affected more in hot weather by alcohol induced dehydration plays a role too.
The Sergeant is calling for us to all do our bit in keeping the roads safe this summer.
"We can all look out for each other, plan our journeys, not rush, not take additional risks just because the weather may seem good for driving or riding.
"Be aware that the roads are much, much busier and around that blind left hand bend could be a group of cyclists that could be a horse rider."
He stressed that the RPU will be targeting offenders who are contributing to the risk of more deaths and serious injuries on our roads as part of the national Operation Spotlight, which is focussing on keeping roads safe up and down the country.