A VETERAN doctor who works in the frontline treating crash victims today urged drivers to take extra care after a black weekend on Suffolk's roads left two people dead.
A VETERAN doctor who works in the frontline treating crash victims today urged drivers to take extra care after a black weekend on Suffolk's roads left two people dead.
Dr Paul Silverston has been to countless accident scenes and treated scores of dying and injured at the roadside but he said the past six weeks had been particularly bad, marred by death and serious injury.
Already 33 people have died on Suffolk's roads in 2006, compared to 36 in the whole of 2005.
In the latest crashes to claim lives, a 36-year-old man from the Woodbridge area died at Snape on Saturday while another died in a crash near Newmarket.
And with dangerous winter conditions approaching, Dr Silverston said: “I've been to a fatal road accident every Saturday or every other Saturday for the past five or six weeks.
“There have been a number of fatal accidents but also there have been a number of critically injured people hospitalised. At the moment we don't know if some of them will survive or not.
“So many of these people who are killed are young people. Each one is an individual tragedy.”
Dr Silverston is often one of the first to arrive at Suffolk crash scenes and today he revealed that despite the catalogue of tragedies, drivers are persistently ignoring even the most basic road safety measures.
The GP, who answers emergency calls for Suffolk Accident Rescue Service, said: “Sadly we are continuing to see people not wearing seat belts, you see people eating, you see people drinking, you see people using mobile phones.
“If you are distracted then it could take you that split second longer to hit the brake or to swerve to avoid someone else.
“All that we can say is keep your speed down, particularly in built-up areas, wear your seat belt, don't drink and drive, don't drug drive, and don't use your mobile phone while driving.
“It only takes a moment of inattention for you to alter your life or someone else's life forever. It can happen to anyone at any time.
“So many of these people who are killed are young people. Each one is an individual tragedy.
“Some families never get over the loss of a loved one.”
WEBLINK: www.sars999.info
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here