Lancashire 999 vehicles crash 592 times in one year (From Lancashire Telegraph)

Lancashire 999 vehicles crash 592 times in one year

3:30pm Sunday 12th April 2009

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MORE than 500 emergency vehicles on 999 calls crashed last year in Lancashire, it has been revealed.

Figures released under the Freedom of Information Act show police cars, ambulances and fire engines crashed 592 times on the county’s streets in 2008.

Most of the crashes were minor, and bosses say accidents are a necessary consequence of rushing to incidents. The figures also appear to be falling.

Fire engines were involved in 52 crashes in 2008, down from 71 the previous year.

Lancashire Police recorded 430 accidents, compared to 451, and North West Ambulance Service recorded 110 crashes in Lancashire in the first nine months of the 2008/09 year, roughly in line with the previous year’s total of 139.

Lancashire Fire Service spokesman John Taylor said most of the accidents were “minor shunts” including catching wing mirrors during low-speed manoeuvring.

He added: “To put these incidents into context, there are in excess of 60,000 incidents fire crews attend annually, mostly with at least two fire engines going to each and often with three or more, so that adds up to a lot of vehicle miles.”

Coun Roy Davies, chairman of Blackburn with Darwen’s health scrutiny committee, said: “They are taking their lives into their own hands to get somewhere so they can save someone’s life.

"If the figures are going down, I honestly believe we are going in the right direction.”

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