PANDEMIC lockdowns put the brakes on fatal crashes last year but there are fears they could soar now that traffic levels are rising again.

As road safety week begins, campaigners are pushing for more to be done to stop dangerous drivers and make highways less deadly.

Government figures analysed by the charity Brake show a total of 695 fewer road deaths and serious injuries happened around the south west last year.

But there were still 2,572 people seriously injured and 158 killed.

Overall, around 300 deaths and more than 6,000 serious injuries were prevented due to lighter traffic in 2020 compared to 2019 and it is hoped this rare decline will turn into a trend.

Police and crime commissioner Philip Wilkinson has just appointed a new volunteer community speed watch coordinator to work closely with local police officers and the 945 speed watch volunteers in 115 teams around the county who spend their free time checking how fast motorists drive through their towns and villages.

He said the move was part of his commitment to improving Wiltshire’s road safety.

Under the new plans, the current volunteers would be divided in to eight teams which roughly match the boundaries of the current community policing areas.

Each area team would nominate a lead community speed watch coordinator to feed in to volunteer coordinator, Coun John Derryman of South Newton, near Salisbury and create a clearer path for communicating data with Wiltshire Police.

It is hoped this will help the police force target their enforcement efforts on speeding hot spots which the volunteers find.

Coun Derryman said: “I am really delighted to be able to help, and add value to our current CSW in this way. Like all team members, I have volunteered many hours to improving road safety and have been at the sharp end of abusive motorists.

"No one does this for the thanks or praise!

“As volunteers, we want to be reassured those hours on the kerbside are worth it and that we are communicating with the police in the right way so efforts both sides are producing the results we all want to see.”

Mr Wilkinson said: “Our speed watch volunteers provide a vitally-important role in the county and play a huge part in keeping our roads safe.

“I realised I could do more to support Wiltshire Police and those individuals who volunteer their time to make their communities a better place.

“By some simple restructuring and alignment, I hope we can really make a difference for our volunteers and in their communities too.”

The new community speed watch appointment has been praised by Wiltshire Council.

Cabinet member for transport Dr Mark McClelland said: “Recent data suggests that in 2019, which is the last year we have full year for, 18 per cent of injury collisions attended by the Police involved speed as a factor, whether in terms of exceeding the speed limit or travelling too fast for the conditions. This is higher than the percentage for both the South West region and for the country as a whole.

“Speeding traffic also impacts the wellbeing of our communities and often deters people who would like to walk, cycle or ride to school, work or for leisure.”

Cllr McClelland added that the authority backed the wider work of the Wiltshire and Swindon Road Safety Partnership in helping to keep roads safe.