Shoppers in Dumfries and Galloway shown the results of collisions as Scottish Road Safety Week starts.
Firefighters and police officers from Dumfries and Galloway staged a road safety event to help motorists reduce the chance they will be involved in a serious incident.
Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) crews were joined by their Police Scotland colleagues for the event at the Gretna Gateway centre on Sunday 3 May.
A cut-up car provided shoppers at the retail complex, which draws large numbers of people from either side of the border, with a stark image of the scene faced by emergency responders when they are called to serious incidents.
Watch Manager Iain Campbell is an officer serving with the SFRS prevention and protection team in Dumfries and Galloway. He said: “Things can very quickly go wrong for any motorist no matter how much experience we have behind the wheel.
“Our area has the main motorway route between England and Scotland as well as country roads linking remote and rural communities, so the emergency services are frequently called to the scene of collisions.
“The effects of a crash can be truly horrific and we don’t want to see tragedies that could be avoided.
“Every driver can make a difference and by understanding the risks, staying aware of the conditions and choosing to drive responsibly we can all help keep ourselves, our passengers and other road users safe.”
Motorists are urged to ensure their vehicles are well maintained and in a roadworthy state, to always be aware of traffic, weather, surface and visibility conditions and to drive at a speed that’s both appropriate and within the posted limit.
By leaving enough time to complete journeys safely drivers can make collisions less likely, while leaving sufficient distances to vehicles ahead will also buy time to react should anything unexpected happen.
In the event of a crash seatbelts save lives. Emergency responders know all-too-well that not wearing a seatbelt can be a fatal decision even on short, familiar journeys and at low speeds.
The event at Gretna Gateway came at the start of Scottish Road Safety Week, which runs from 4 May to 10 May.
The week aims to raise awareness of road safety across the country but it will specifically focus on keeping children safe while they are walking, cycling or in the car. Further information is available at www.dontriskit.info.
