Warning to drivers after road deaths increase

Mr Pipe said "I've never seen this level of trauma and death"

A startling increase in fatal road collisions recorded in Essex has prompted police to issue a warning ahead of the Easter weekend.

So far this year, there have been 22 road deaths in the county, compared with 12 during the same time period in 2024.

Adam Pipe, the head of roads policing for Essex Police, said he had "never seen this level of trauma and death" in his 25 years at the force.

He said there had been an enormous increase in drug driving offences recorded this year - with 375 arrests made up until the end of March.

"Drug driving is an enormous problem for society and policing," he told BBC Essex.

"I don't think people fully appreciate the legislation."

The force was called to two fatal collisions on the A120 near Braintree on Wednesday.

Four students died after their car collided with a building in Colchester on 1 February, and on the same day, a nine-year-old girl and her 16-year-old brother died after a crash in Basildon involving the e-scooter they were on.

"There is no other part of public life where we would tolerate this level of death and injury."

Essex Police wants to achieve zero road deaths over the course of a year by 2040.

The force has signed up to a month-long campaign called Operation Spotlight, coordinated by the National Police Chiefs' Council.