Road Safety Week

Every 24 seconds someone is killed on a road.

More than 1.3 million people die on the world's roads every year.

Road crashes are the leading cause of death for young people aged 5-29.

Back in October Nub News Trowbridge covered a survey by the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners which found people in Wiltshire wanted greater enforcement of road traffic offences. The Road Safety Survey for a Department for Transport consultation of roads policing attracted more than 66,000, of those, 876 were from Wiltshire giving feedback on the safety of the roads in the county and Wiltshire Police's work. Less than 40% (39.15) said they felt safe or very safe on the roads where they lived, slightly lower than the national picture.

When asked how often they witnessed road traffic offences on the roads where they lived (ie using a mobile phone, speeding, not wearing a seat belt), 62% said they witnessed it daily. This was higher than the national picture. More than 82% either agreed or strongly agreed to greater enforcement of traffic offences.

This week is #RoadsafetyWeek and Wiltshire Police are highlighting that excess speed is one of the fatal four factors that significantly increase the risk of injury to road users along with using a mobile phone whilst driving, not wearing a seatbelt and drink/drug driving.

In 2019, Wiltshire Police responded to 1,557 road traffic collisions reported as fatal or serious injury, a slight decrease on the 1,650 incidents in 2018.
So far in 2020, there have been 981 incidents reported as fatal or serious injury, of which 17 have resulted in a fatality, the decrease is likely to be related to lockdown measures and decreased travel but in July 2020 alone there were 214 notices issued in Wiltshire in relation to speeding. The equivalent to almost seven a day!

Be speed aware and drive safely.