Cheshire Constabulary urging road users to drive safely after rise in fatal collisions across the county

Cheshire Constabulary is urging road users to drive safely as the number of those dying on the county’s roads continues to rise.

More than twice the number of people died on Cheshire’s roads in 2018 in comparison to the previous year – and the majority of those deaths could have been avoided. 

Already this year, we have seen ten people die on our roads as a result of a preventable collision. 

In its continued fight to tackle the recent spike in road deaths in Cheshire, the Constabulary’s Roads and Crime Unit will be undertaking enforcement and educational activities over the course of February in a bid to reduce the number of preventable fatalities on the roads. 

Officers will be targeting those road users who are driving over the speed limit, using a mobile phone, driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, not wearing a seatbelt, and those who are driving carelessly – all well-known factors to contribute to a fatal collision. 

Inspector Steve Griffiths said: “Fatal collisions are heart-breaking. They are heartbreaking for the family, heart-breaking for the community, and heart-breaking for the responding emergency services staff who have to witness the tragedy and subsequent aftermath – all made worse knowing that the collision could have been prevented. 

“We do not go out policing the roads for the sake of it. We are doing it to save lives. People often comment, ‘should you not be spending your time doing something ‘more important’ and investigating ‘real crimes’?’ My response to that is, people are dying on our roads. Stopping any more deaths from occurring as a result of something unnecessary and totally avoidable – this has to be one of our top priorities.”

If you are twice the legal limit of alcohol, you are at least 50 times more likely to be involved in a fatal collision. Not wearing a seatbelt increases your chances of dying in a crash by 50%. Using a mobile phone behind the wheel affects your reaction time as much as drink driving. Speeding has been proven to be involved in at least 20% of all fatal collisions. With such hard-hitting statistics, Cheshire Constabulary urges drivers to use our roads safely – or face the risk of dying.

David Keane, Police and Crime Commissioner for Cheshire, added: “With an increased number of fatalities and serious incidents on our roads over the last year, it is more important that motorists follow the safety advice issued by police to ensure they are not putting their own lives and the lives of others at risk. One careless action could cost someone’s life.

 “The vast majority of road users in Cheshire act responsibility but, sadly, there are still drivers on our roads that choose to drive recklessly – this is why campaigns by Cheshire’s Roads & Crime Unit are vital in making our roads safer.”