In one video Jackie Brearly, whose son Paul was killed in a car crash, tearfully recalls the day police officers knocked on her door to tell her that her son would not be coming home.
In another, fire service watch manager Chris Boston talks about a crash on the A38 which resulted in the death of a child, while Devon Air Ambulance Dr Clare Bosanko relives the moment she faced a devastating decision at the scene of a crash between a lorry and a car.
Also featured in the videos are paramedic Te Tait from the South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (SWASFT) who speaks candidly and emotionally about an incident she attended as a medical student, while police officer Sarah Harvey explains what it’s like to deal with the family of someone who dies in a road collision.
Among the causes of the collisions described in the videos were drugs, fatigue and driving while using a mobile phone – the prevention of which could stop the unnecessary and tragic loss of life we see each year on Devon and Cornwall’s roads.
The powerful videos have been released by the Vision Zero South West road safety partnership to mark Road Safety Week, the theme of which is Road Safety Heroes.
Firefighter Chris Boston, an operational watch manager featured in one of the videos, is also the lead road safety officer within Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service’s community safety team.
Chris said: “These emotional videos were made for our Learn2Live educational programme in which people with experience of road collisions get the chance to speak to older school students about the hazards that will face them when they start driving.
“Young drivers have been identified as a vulnerable road user group by Vision Zero South West and make up a disproportionately high number of casualties in road traffic collisions.
“Any death on our roads is tragic, but it is particularly harrowing when a young life is lost. Jackie Brearly, whose son Paul was killed in a collision, expresses this better than we ever could, pleading with drivers not to let it be their mum having to give this message.
“The videos may be hard to watch but they are extremely important and I hope they are seen by many motorists and help change people’s behaviour when they are behind the wheel.”
Superintendent Adrian Leisk, of Devon and Cornwall Police, said: “It is vital that we work together to reduce the number of people killed and seriously injured on the road network across Devon and Cornwall.
“Sadly, all too often our officers have to break the news to loved ones that a family member is never coming home which has a devastating impact.
“Our enforcement and education work with partners means that we have been able to significantly reduce the number of people killed and seriously injured on our roads in recent years but there is always more to be done.
“Please remember to stick to the speed limit, don’t get behind the wheel after drinking or taking drugs, pay attention on the road, belt up and don’t be distracted – the five main causes of collisions.”
Devon Air Ambulance Specialist Paramedic in Critical Care, Mark Hawley, describes how the DAA crew’s response to an RTC may vary depending on the seriousness and complexity of an incident.
He said: “Serious collisions may involve individuals or multiple patients and can be extremely challenging in relation to being able to treat the patient where they are, especially if trapped inside the vehicle and while other emergency services are working around you. Being able to come together quickly to form effective teams with colleagues from other emergency services is vital.
A fatality can of course have a knock-on effect as to how clinicians feel about the incident they just attended. Upon return to our base, there is an opportunity for everyone involved to reflect and debrief.
“Not only to discuss the work carried out at the scene but also to allow us to decompress after sometimes being exposed to incredibly traumatic scenes, and of course, from this comes learning.”
The official figures for road casualties in Great Britain in 2020 were recently published by the Department for Transport.
They revealed that in Devon and Cornwall 44 people were killed and 624 were seriously injured, which show a reduction when compared to 2019 when there were 48 people killed and 768 seriously injured.
Across the UK in 2020, there were an estimated 1,460 reported road deaths and 22,069 people seriously injured.
However, 2020 also saw a 21% reduction in vehicle traffic across Great Britain due to the Covid-19 lockdowns. According to the Department for Transport, the decrease in fatalities in 2020 is associated with this reduction in road traffic. This means that when compared to 2019, the rate of fatalities actually increased in 2020.
Alison Hernandez, Police and Crime Commissioner for Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, is chairman of the Vision Zero South West road safety partnership which is aiming to cut road deaths by half by 2030.
Commissioner Hernandez, who is also the national APCC lead for road safety, said: “When dealing with figures like these it’s important to remember that every single one represents a person who has suffered dramatically as a result of a collision on our roads.
“Whether it’s someone who dies, sustains a brain injury, loses a limb or suffers from the harrowing mental effects of a road traffic collision, the effect this incident has on them – as well as their friends and family - cannot be underestimated.
“The whole purpose of Vision Zero South West is to cut road traffic deaths to zero. All our partners will admit this is an extremely ambitious target but one which needs to be at the forefront of all of our minds. We can only achieve this by working alongside our local communities.”
For more information about Road Safety Week visit www.brake.org.uk/road-safety-week
To watch Jackie’s story go to https://youtu.be/SIMh_B5aH90
And to see the other four videos look for Vision Zero on social media