COUNCIL and police bosses have urged people to slow down and save lives as they launch a week of road safety initiatives.

Pendle Community Safety Partnership wants to remind people about the importance of drivers keeping their speed down to protect all road users.

It comes as 52 people were killed or seriously injured in a road traffic collision on Pendle’s roads in 2016 - 11 were children.

Separate figures show that 168 children were seriously injured or killed in road traffic traffic collisions in East Lancashire over the last five years.

The partnership, which aims to help make the borough a safer place to live and work, is supporting this year’s ‘Road Safety Week’ (November 20 to November 26) which is co-ordinated by road safety charity Brake.

Cllr David Whipp, chairman of Pendle Community Safety Partnership, said: “These are startling figures but we can all take some simple steps to reduce the number of people who are hurt on our roads.

“Driving is unpredictable and if something unexpected happens, such as a child stepping out from between parked cars, it’s a driver’s speed which determines whether they can stop in time.”

During ‘Road Safety Week’, the partnership will encourage people to do everything they can to protect themselves and the people around them by driving carefully.

A car which was involved in a horrific accident involving a young person in Lancashire will be available for people to see on Burnley Road (near Asda), Colne on Thursday (November 23) and on Walverden Road in Brierfield on Friday (November 24).

Geoff Whitehead, community safety manager, said: “Residents regularly raise speeding and dangerous driving on Pendle’s roads as a major concern and we’re hoping that this will go some way towards tackling it.”

Inspector Andy Winter said: “We’re hoping that Road Safety Week will remind people of the stark message that speed kills.

“Please remember that speed limits are there for a reason – one in three road deaths are speed related and these can be avoided.

“During the week we’ll be out and out about with our mobile cameras in the areas we know to be notorious for speeding.

“Again, this is a reminder to slow down behind the wheel.”