Shining the ‘spotlight’ on roads policing

Last year 55 people were killed and 486 were seriously injured in road traffic collisions across Herefordshire, Shropshire and Worcestershire.

Common causation factors listed in these collisions include:

Keeping those who use our roads safe is a 24/7, year-round priority for us across Herefordshire, Shropshire and Worcestershire, with road safety sitting at the heart of the Police and Crime Commissioner’s West Mercia Safer Communities Plan.

During July we will be supporting Operation Spotlight, a national operation to highlight and raise awareness of the work roads policing officers, local policing teams and communities do every day to tackle these issues to try and reduce the number that are killed or seriously injured on our roads. During the summer months the number of people killed or seriously injured on the road network increases and Op Spotlight is a targeted national operation to try and combat this to make our roads safer for everyone.

Superintendent Stuart Bill, West Mercia Police said: “Everyone understands the law around seatbelts, drink/drug driving and mobile phones and the importance of adhering to the speed limits. The majority of road users use the roads respectfully and adhere to this but it is concerning that there are still a number of drivers and riders across our force area who don’t. This is why we continue to target those road users who chose to break the law to help make our roads safer for all.

Police and Crime Commissioner John Campion said: “I hear regularly from victims and bereaved families about the devastating impact that harm on our roads all too often causes. With road collisions being the biggest killer in West Mercia, doing more to improve road safety remains at the heart of my focus, alongside West Mercia Police. Throughout this month, the force will rightly be shining a spotlight on the work it delivers all year round - whether that’s enforcing the law against those who break it, educating motorists so they have the skills to drive safely, or working with partners to ensure our road infrastructure is designed with safety in mind.”