Forty people have been killed in crashes where speeding was a factor across West Mercia in the past three years.

A further 338 were seriously injured in collisions where speeding or inappropriate use of speed was noted as a contributory factor.

Police are urging motorists to stick to the speed limit as a national crackdown on speeding gets underway.

West Mercia Police said the operation is being run across the UK to raise awareness of the impact speeding can have on collisions.

It says this supports the ongoing preventative work that already takes place across Herefordshire, Shropshire and Worcestershire.

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Speeding, as well as inappropriate speed, can have a devastating impact on the safety of road users, increasing the risk of a collision and the severity of the consequences.

Supt Steph Brighton said: “Supporting this national operation with local activities and increased enforcement is an important way of raising the issue and highlighting the dangers of speeding.

“The majority of drivers and riders use the road responsibly, however there are many families that unfortunately know far too well the devastating consequences that speeding and collisions can lead to and many local residents whose quality of life is affected by a minority of people speeding through their community.

“Speed limits are there for a reason - to protect all road users, and it is our job to enforce these.

“Apart from the obvious consequences if you are involved in a collision, if prosecuted for speeding, the minimum penalty is a £100 fine and 3 penalty points.”

Police and Crime Commissioner John Campion said: “It’s a sad fact that too many people die or are seriously injured on our roads. I am committed to changing this, with road safety at the heart of my Safer West Mercia Plan.

“I welcome West Mercia Police’s work to tackle speeding, not only during October’s national campaign but all year round, by educating drivers of the harm they can cause, raising awareness to change attitudes and enforcing the law when necessary.”

The PCC’s £150,000 Road Safety Fund is currently open for communities and partners across the three counties to apply for funding to address local road safety concerns.

The closing date for applications is midday on Friday, November 3. Go to www.westmercia-pcc.gov.uk/roadsafetyfund

Please note a previous version of this story incorrectly said it was 40 people killed in crashes in a year. However, we have been asked to amend the article as it is in fact 40 people killed in three years.