Police appeal to drive carefully after rise in serious traffic collisions

After seeing a recent rise in the number of serious traffic accidents in the county, Lincolnshire Police is urging people to drive carefully this Christmas.

The force says that in the first 17 days of this month, they attended seven collisions which left five people seriously injured and two dead.

In the last three days 14 people in the county have been arrested for drug or drink driving offences in the county.

A spokesman for Lincolnshire Police, said: “We want to send a message to all of our road users to concentrate on their driving, to slow down, to be considerate. 

“While we can’t comment on the cause of the latest collisions as they remain under investigation, we do know that every collision is the result of poor driving and poor judgement by someone.  

“The Fatal4, speeding, driving while impaired through drink or drugs, using a mobile phone and not wearing a seatbelt are causation factors in many of the collisions we deal with.

“All of these start with the decision of a driver to take a risk, to drive their car while they are over the limit, to pick up their phone, to accelerate faster than is safe.” 

Chief inspector Pat Coates, Specialist Operations, Lincolnshire Police, said: “I can’t imagine how the families and friends of people who have died or been seriously injured in collisions cope or feel.  It’s never a good time to be involved in a collision but especially when life is different and difficult enough at the moment.  My sympathies go to anyone who is grieving. 

“I’m asking all of our drivers and riders to protect their loved ones by driving responsibly. 

“We enforce all year but especially target drivers who do so under the influence at this time of year.

“In the last three days we’ve arrested 14 people for drink or drug driving, seven charged to court, seven investigations are on-going. 

“My message is pay more attention to your driving, don’t make rash decisions about overtaking, reduce your speed and don’t get behind the wheel when your unfit to drive.”

So far this year Lincolnshire Police have seen 48 people die in 45 collisions.  Last year 56 people died in 50 collisions.