Bedford Driving Lessons

A POLICE collision investigator says the vast majority of crashes are totally preventable. Sergeant John Roberts, collision investigations observer for West Mercia police, spoke to the Shuttle before a RoadPeace service in Kidderminster, on Sunday, to remember those killed on the district’s roads. He said: “In 28 years in the police, most of which has been with roads policing, I have only ever been to a handful of collisions I can say were totally unforeseen and could not have been prevented.” Mr Roberts leads a team of 10 constables specially trained in collision investigation techniques. They provide 24-hour cover, every day of the year and their primary role is to examine the scenes of road death and potential road death incidents, to determine a cause. Mr Roberts explained: “When a death is involved, we try to provide the coroner and the families of the victims with an explanation of what happened, so in effect, we work for the families of the victims.” He added: “I have always maintained the belief that at a time when the families of road death victims are at their very worst, then the very least we can do is our very best.” The sergeant has seen two road deaths, 24 serious injury collisions and 172 slight injury collisions, since January 1 this year. He said he feels very sad to see lives lost in car crashes, he added: “Especially when it is considered that the vast majority of collisions are preventable. More