OVER the past year the lives of more than 350 families have been impacted as a result of a collision in Cheshire.

Almost 30 families have been forced to come to terms with the death of a loved one while 343 people are now living with serious injuries which may affect them for the rest of their lives.

During National Road Victims Month in August, Cheshire Constabulary is urging the public to take time to think about all those who have been affected by serious collisions when using the county’s roads.

Supt Paul Beauchamp, who leads the Roads Policing Team, said: “Dealing with fatal and serious collisions is a heartbreaking task, especially when you know that many of them are preventable.

“While some of the incidents are accidental, there are others where people needlessly die or suffer serious injuries because another person decided they were above the law.

“It’s well known that driving while under the influence of alcohol or illegal drugs increases your chances of being involved in a collision.

"It’s also known that driving at 35mph in a 30mph zone doubles the risk of killing a child in a collision.

“Despite this, there are hundreds of motorists who flout the laws on our roads every day."

David Keane, police and crime commissioner for Cheshire, added: "It’s a sad fact that many of the tragedies that occur in Cheshire could be avoided if road users paid more attention to the road and obeyed all of the laws that are in place.

“That is why I’m encouraging all road users to play their part. By working together we can all help to reduce the number of people killed or seriously injured on Cheshire’s roads.”