Avon and Somerset Police's speed warning as road deaths rise

Avon and Somerset Police is supporting national Road Safety week

An increase in fatal road collisions has prompted police to issue a stark warning ahead of the busy festive season.

There have been more road deaths in the Avon and Somerset Police force area this year, than the whole of 2022.

So far this year, 56 people have lost their lives in fatal collisions, a 9% increase on the previous year.

Police are urging people to drive at a safe speed to reduce the number of collisions.

The force is supporting Brake's national Road Safety week, which aims to open up the conversation about excess speed and the devastating consequences it can have. The annual campaign runs between 19-26 November.

Statistics from Avon and Somerset Police show that 124,667 speeding offences have been recorded so far this year.

Insp Rob Barker urged people to allow more time to complete their journeys

Insp Rob Barker said: "I appreciate that people lead very busy lives."

"It's tough if you have to drop the kids off at nursery and then get to work on time.

"But what I would say is, if you knew a family member of one of those 56 people who died this year, would you think it was worth it if you had a collision breaking the speed limit?

"If at all possible, leave a bit more time from your journey, and then there is no pressure to break the speed limit."

According to police, one in four fatal collisions in the UK involve someone driving too fast.

During Road Safety week and into the busy festive season, officers will be carrying out road safety patrols and targeting motorists who choose to drive at unsafe speeds.

Fatal crashes in the west - according to police figures

• There were 44 fatal crashes in the Avon and Somerset Police force area in 2022 and 48 in 2023.

• Wiltshire saw 28 fatal collisions in 2022 and 18 so far in 2023.

• Gloucestershire had 26 fatal crashes in 2022 and 16 so far in 2023.

• Dorset had 15 crashes in 2022 and 9 so far in 2023.

Chief Constable Jo Shiner, road safety lead for the National Police Chiefs Council, said: "Discussions... often descend into arguments about being 'just a little bit over the limit', or the speed camera location, or whether drivers were properly warned in advance of a speed detection operation. 

"We don't have these sorts of conversations about being 'just a bit' over the drink-drive limit or driving a 'little bit' dangerously... All of this 'noise' misses the uncomfortable and inescapable truth that speed kills.

She added: "Abiding by the laws of the road, which are designed first and foremost to protect life, reduces the chances of being killed or seriously injured in a collision or causing a fatal or serious collision."