Firefighters urge drivers to take more care as collisions rise

 

road-safety-week-logoFirefighters are urging drivers to take extra care after new figures show a 15 per cent rise in the number of road traffic collisions crews have been called to in the last five years.

The new figures, which have been released to coincide with Road Safety Week, show crews attend more than 10 road traffic collisions on London’s roads every day.

Our firefighters attended 3,505 in 2011, with the number rising to 4,057 in 2015.

In the last five years, firefighters have attended a total of 18,591 road traffic collisions and nearly every day, crews have had to cut someone from a vehicle.

In boroughs where they are large numbers of road traffic collisions, the Brigade runs schemes like Safe Drive Stay Alive to educate young drivers about the dangers of careless driving.

At the talks, firefighters also speak about their experiences of dealing with tragic incidents.

Dave Brown, Director of Operations, said: “Our crews are spending an increasing amount of time attending road traffic collisions and I want to urge people to take care on the road.

“Crews are regularly called to serious road traffic collisions and our firefighters are exceptionally well trained and have specialist equipment to free people who are trapped in vehicles.

“We are committed to reducing the number of road traffic collisions in London.

“We talk to young people across the capital at our Safe Drive Stay Alive seminars where emergency service staff and victims talk emotionally about the dangers associated with reckless driving.

“We are a partner in the Biker Down road safety training, designed to make bikers safer on London’s roads. There are also road traffic rescues simulated at our stations to illustrate the dangers of unsafe driving.”

 

Read More

SUBSCRIBE AND FOLLOW

Email Address *