Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service is voicing concern following a number of serious and fatal Road Traffic Collisions (RTCs).

MAWWFRS has already attended 439 RTCs since April 1, 2015, 65 of them involved extrication and 20 of which involved fatalities.

This month alone, MAWWFRS has attended 88 RTCs, with extrications rates 20 per cent above average.

Youth engagement manager and firefighter Alan Sherman would like to convey to the public just how traumatic RTC are to everyone involved,

“I have attended many road traffic collisions in my 17 years as a firefighter, but the incidents that stay with me the longest always involve children.

“There is nothing more heart-wrenching than hearing a child call out for their unconscious mother. Nor is it easy to comfort a parent crying hysterically for their child to wake up.

“You see these situations and just think, why?

“Some people are in the wrong place at the wrong time, or others simply don’t process that not only is speeding breaking the law, but it is putting human lives at risk.

“It is sad that people do not understand the consequences of their actions.”

Head of protection and prevention Chris Margetts says: “There is absolutely no excuse for driving irresponsibly; If you have a tendency of running late, make an effort to leave earlier; If there is a problem with your vehicle, get it checked; If you are driving under harsh weather conditions then adjust your speed; If you don’t know the road, drive vigilantly; Never drive under the influence of drugs or alcohol; There is no excuse not to drive cautiously. We do not want anyone to end this Bank Holiday weekend as another statistic, we want you to end it alive.”