Yorkshire drivers 
‘risk a life 
every few 
minutes’

YORKSHIRE drivers are senselessly risking lives and flouting traffic laws, with motorists punished every seven minutes for speeding and careless driving.
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Last year, 78,984 fixed penalty notices were issued to motorists in Yorkshire and the Humber, road safety charity Brake revealed today, as it launched a major campaign to urge drivers to behave more responsibly.

Bereaved families joined the call for action as it was revealed that 165 people were killed and 2,234 seriously injured on roads in Yorkshire and the Humber in 2013.

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Michaela Waters’ brother Paul Thompson was just 25 when he was hit by a driver going at nearly double the speed limit in July 2004. He was killed instantly.

Mrs Waters, of Lupset, Wakefield, said: “Paul was the youngest in the family and the apple of my parents’ eyes. It’s something none of the family will ever get over. Every birthday, every Christmas, there’s someone missing. No family should have to go through what we have.”

Mrs Waters will be joined by other bereaved relatives and survivors as Brake launches Road Safety Week in York today.

Road Safety Week is launched just two days after five people died in a road accident in South Yorkshire, although there is no suggestion that speed was a factor in that tragedy.

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Beverley O’Toole’s son Adam was just 18 when he was killed by a hit-and-run driver in Huddersfield in 2007. She said: “The driver of that car in not only took my son’s life – he ended mine.

“Whatever road you are on, whatever vehicle you are driving, you should always be aware of other road users when you get behind the wheel. You are in charge of that vehicle, and if you don’t drive slowly, and with care and consideration, you can become a killer. So please – look out for each other on our roads.”

Guy Preston, 18, from Beverley, was seriously injured when he was knocked from his bike by a car travelling along the A1079 in East Yorkshire in 2010.

He suffered major leg injuries, spent three weeks in hospital and lost the majority of his childhood memories in the incident.

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“Those three weeks after the crash were some of my darkest moments. Going from being so independent to needing support with every activity is a crushing blow to an individual’s self-esteem,” he said.

As part of the campaign, Brake analysed the parts of the region where the most drivers were issued with fixed penalty notices. Motorists living in the affluent LS17 area of Leeds, which includes Harewood and Alwoodley, were the worst offenders, receiving 1,039 fixed penalty notices last year, closely followed by the Selby postcode YO8, where 967 notices were issued.

The charity also spoke to primary school children and nearly a third said they had been hit or nearly hit on foot or on a bike. Worryingly, 65 per cent thought their local roads could be dangerous for walking and cycling.

Research by the AA showed that three-quarters of Yorkshire motorists, 72 per cent, think drivers generally seem in a hurry and are not considerate enough.

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Chief Constable Suzette Davenport said: “Road Safety Week is a great opportunity for forces and partners to engage with their local communities to deliver important road safety messages and undertake enforcement activities in support of Brake’s week.”