POLICE are planning a big crackdown on driving standards on the Isle of Wight.
Since June there have been five fatal collisions — a figure police believe is too high and which goes against the improving trend in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.
They have now launched a campaign across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight to cut the number of crashes in the two counties.
The operation will run for six months initially and will target drivers who use mobile phones at the wheel, drink-drivers, speeding motorists and those not wearing seatbelts — the four main trends in fatal or serious injury crashes.
Sergeant Dave Sanderson of the Isle of Wight Roads Policing Unit said: "I want to raise awareness of the importance of road safety and make people take responsibility for their actions.
"A vehicle is a lump of metal that can kill and it does too often. When something unexpected happens, if you're not in control, someone may die.
"On occasions people get away with it, but if not, the consequences can be devastating for everyone including family, friends, schools and communities they belong to.
"It does worry me there has been five fatal collisions in recent months. They are all individual, unique tragic accidents that could have been avoided. The only common link between them is they are down to mistakes.
"The Island now presents me with challenges which suits my moral drive. I want to make a difference and stop people dying on the roads and we will be clever and we will be smart in doing so."
Earlier in the year it had appeared that the roads were becoming safer, with figures released by police showing a drop in the number of people hurt or killed.
Between January 1 and June 30 this year, the two counties recorded a 22 per cent reduction in fatal or serious injury casualties compared to the same period in 2011. In total there were 102 fewer casualties than in the previous year.
Fatal or serious injury collisions in the Eastern Area, incorporating Havant, Fareham and Gosport, Portsmouth and the Isle of Wight, were down 14 per cent from 222 to 194.
• For more on this story see the Isle of Wight County Press on Friday, October 19.
2011 figures | Number of collisions |
| Number of casualties |
| Fatal | Serious | Slight | Total (ALL) | Total (KSI) |
| Isle of Wight | 1 | 86 | 305 | 392 | 87 |
| 1 | 95 | 472 | 568 | 96 |
|
| Basingstoke and Deane | 7 | 67 | 262 | 336 | 74 |
| 7 | 78 | 353 | 438 | 85 |
|
| Eastleigh | 0 | 54 | 249 | 303 | 54 |
| 0 | 55 | 330 | 385 | 55 |
|
| Fareham | 2 | 57 | 248 | 307 | 59 |
| 2 | 59 | 329 | 390 | 61 |
|
| Gosport | 0 | 27 | 152 | 179 | 27 |
| 0 | 30 | 181 | 211 | 30 |
|
| Hart | 5 | 50 | 148 | 203 | 55 |
| 5 | 54 | 192 | 251 | 59 |
|
| Havant | 3 | 44 | 239 | 286 | 47 |
| 4 | 45 | 316 | 365 | 49 |
|
| New Forest | 7 | 121 | 379 | 507 | 128 |
| 7 | 126 | 505 | 638 | 133 |
|
| East Hampshire | 9 | 68 | 186 | 263 | 77 |
| 9 | 78 | 269 | 356 | 87 |
|
| Portsmouth | 0 | 141 | 543 | 684 | 141 |
| 0 | 143 | 664 | 807 | 143 |
|
| Rushmoor | 0 | 38 | 172 | 210 | 38 |
| 0 | 41 | 222 | 263 | 41 |
|
| Southampton | 2 | 147 | 522 | 671 | 149 |
| 2 | 152 | 663 | 817 | 154 |
|
| Test Valley | 6 | 64 | 229 | 299 | 70 |
| 6 | 72 | 320 | 398 | 78 |
|
| Winchester | 2 | 79 | 281 | 362 | 81 |
| 2 | 85 | 390 | 477 | 87 |
|
| Hamshire & IW Total: | 44 | 1043 | 3915 | 5002 | 1087 |
| 45 | 1113 | 5206 | 6364 | 1158 |
Reporter: jamiew@iwcpmail.co.uk