Two of Nottinghamshire's emergency services have issued a joint statement urging motorists to take care on the county's roads.

The move from Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service (NFRS) together with Nottinghamshire Police comes after there were three fatalities on the county's roads last week.

Last Thursday evening (22 September), two young men aged 19 and 17 died in a collision on Southwell Road in Gonalston. Two other young people were left seriously injured.

Then on Saturday evening (24 September), a collision on the A46 involving four cars resulted in the death of a man in his 20's.  

As well as these fatal incidents another very serious collision happened last Wednesday evening (21 September), between a motorcyclist and a car near King's Mill Hospital in Mansfield. It resulted in the rider of the motorcycle, a man in his 20's, sustaining potentially life-threatening injuries.

Area Manager Bryn Coleman, head of prevention and protection for Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue and chairman of the Nottinghamshire Road Safety Partnership, said: "Every year the emergency services attend hundreds of collisions on our roads, and many of them are serious.

"Alongside our blue light partners, we do everything in our power to help those involved and minimise the devastation caused to loved ones and communities.

"Unfortunately, I have experienced and seen the sadness and frustration when we are unable to do more than we can for people who have been injured or lost their lives, far too many times.

"Following these recent tragic incidents, I would like to urge all motorists to take extra care on our roads."

Sergeant Mark Baker, of Nottinghamshire Police's Serious Collision Investigation Unit, said: "One of the worst jobs a police officer ever has to do is tell somebody their loved one has died in a road traffic collision.

"Our officers have attended a shocking number of fatal collisions recently and it is heartbreaking to have to knock on someone's door and give them the awful news face-to-face that their loved one will not be coming home.

"Officers from across the county regularly carry out operations in a bid to reduce the number of serious and fatal incidents on our roads.

"We will continue to push these kinds of operations and make it perfectly clear if you are found to be breaking the law and placing people's lives at risk you will be arrested and dealt with.

"I would like to remind every driver to drive carefully and safely, which will protect themselves and others.

"By listening to this advice, adhering to the law and simply just using basic safety advice it could be the difference between life and death – so please take note and help us keep road users safe."

Motorists are reminded that they can greatly reduce their chances of being injured in a collision by: always wearing a seatbelt; driving to the road and weather conditions; keeping a safe distance, a two second gap, from the vehicle in front; being conscious of speed and sticking to the limits; never driving under the influence of drink or drugs; not being distracted at the wheel – for example by a mobile phone; ensuring a vehicle is well-maintained and road worthy.

More information about road safety can be found by clicking here.