Roads policing officers focus on preventing ‘fatal four’ tragedies

Forty-seven people have been killed on Nottinghamshire’s roads over the last three years (2021-23) due to drivers and riders making the wrong choices. 

Stark figures – which include 411 people being killed or seriously injured on the force's roads during that period – have been revealed by Nottinghamshire Police as the service continues its work to reduce the number of so-called ‘fatal four’ collisions. 

The ‘fatal four’ driving offences/contributory factors which Nottinghamshire officers are focused on preventing and reducing all year round are: 

• Speeding
• Drink or drug driving
• Using a mobile phone while driving
• Not wearing a seatbelt. 

Of those people killed on Nottinghamshire’s roads over the last three years, due to the ‘fatal four’ offences, 44 percent of these collisions (21 deaths) were due to speeding. Excessive speed accounted for half of the county’s number of fatal and serious injury collisions between 2021 and 2023.

Drink or drug driving led to 18 deaths, with families’ lives being torn apart, over this period.

Six people killed were not wearing a seatbelt and two people lost their lives as a result of a driver using a mobile device while behind the wheel.

Enforcing the law around these ‘fatal four’ offences, as well as other traffic-related offences, takes place across the Nottinghamshire Police force area 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

During last month alone, Nottinghamshire roads policing officers issued 300 traffic offence reports (TORs) to offending drivers.

As part of its ongoing work to keep people safe, the force has also recently supported a national ‘fatal four’ awareness-raising campaign led by the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC).

Detective Inspector Kate Savage, of Nottinghamshire Police’s Serious Investigation Unit and Roads Policing Unit, said: “Whilst it’s shocking that we’ve seen so many deaths and serious injuries caused by these ‘fatal four’ offences, statistics alone can never paint a true picture of the utter devastation caused to those who have lost loved ones and suffered lifelong injuries in these collisions.

“We are very clear that when anyone gets behind the wheel it is their responsibility to make sure they have done everything they can to ensure their safety and that of others.

"This includes making sure you and your passengers are wearing a seatbelt, children are seated safely and securely, and keeping to speed limits.

“The majority of drivers use the roads respectfully and adhere to the law, but it is worrying that we still have some drivers across our area who are putting themselves and other road users at risk by their reckless driving behaviour. 

“Enforcing the law across our roads and educating people about the consequences of unsafe driving is a year-round commitment for the force and we continue to urge all road users to think carefully about their driving behaviour and remind them of their responsibilities when they go out in their vehicles.

“The laws are there to save lives and our activity to crackdown on reckless and dangerous driving and to improve road safety will continue throughout Nottinghamshire.”

We’re urging people to help us reduce collisions and casualties in Nottinghamshire and make our roads even safer by reporting instances of unsafe driving by calling 101.

In case of an emergency, or if you believe a crime is in progress, always dial 999.

Alternatively, contact the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111, or via their online form: www.crimestoppers-uk.org.

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