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Cornwall Air Ambulance is urging people to stay safe on the roads following a spate of fatal and serious collisions.
Vision Zero South West is the road safety partnership aiming to stop all serious and fatal collisions across Cornwall and Devon by 2040. They are reporting that 10 people have died and 57 others have been seriously injured across the region’s roads over the past few weeks.
A senior police officer within the partnership has issued a heartfelt plea, as Devon & Cornwall Police increase the number of roads officers and speed detection teams across our road network.
In 2022 Cornwall Air Ambulance was tasked to 1,050 incidents, with 127 of these being road traffic collisions.
Martin Bunt, Specialist Paramedic in Critical Care at Cornwall Air Ambulance, said: “We are always ready to respond and recently we have been really busy particularly with road traffic collisions, we have seen a number of fatalities, an unusual amount for the time of year. Our crew have been involved in a number of these, close to home and a bit further afield. There have been fatalities in which crews have had to break news to bereaved families and friends, and the toll this takes on everyone involved is huge. So we would urge everyone, particularly as we head into our busy period of summer, to please think and please be safe on the roads, and we thank you in advance.”
The five main causes of serious injuries and deaths on the region’s roads, known as the ‘fatal five’, are driving at an excessive speed, not wearing a seatbelt, driving while using a mobile phone, driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, careless or inconsiderate driving.
Alison Hernandez, Police and Crime Commissioner for Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, is also chairperson of the Vision Zero South West road safety partnership.
Commissioner Hernandez said: “First and foremost, my thoughts are with the families, friends and loved ones of those who have died in these recent collisions. It has been a truly tragic two weeks.
“Ensuring everyone’s safety on our roads is one of the four main priorities in my Police and Crime Plan. The Vision Zero South West partnership and all its members are committed to doing whatever is necessary to reduce the number of people killed or seriously injured on Devon and Cornwall’s roads.
“I would urge everyone to please use the roads responsibly, respect other road users and leave plenty of time for any journeys you make.”