EAST Lancashire's leading casualty doctor has backed the Lancashire Telegraph's Wasted Lives campaign.

Dr Sanjoy Bhattacharyya has battled to save the lives of countless victims of road accidents during his 22-year medical career.

The region's leading doctor for emergency medicine is now urging young drivers to take more responsibility for their lives - and those of others - when they are behind the wheel.

He said: "It is mainly young adults who are brought in from road traffic accidents.

"As you grow older I think you realise the dangers of driving fast.

"Young people are often more resilient but if the injuries are serious they just take over and they don't stand a chance.

"It is awful to lose a young person.

"They are productive in society, or have the potential to be, and they have their whole lives head of them."

Backing the Telegraph's Wasted Lives campaign, Dr Bhattacharyya said: "I would tell young drivers to wear their seat belt; obey the traffic rules; be safe and respect others on the road.

"You have got to think about the people that care about you.

"It is selfish to speed.

"You would not want to have your family pacing a hospital waiting room.

"It is horrific to have to break the news to parents that they have lost a child.

"In that one second their lives are devastated."

Despite the ever increasing number of safety features being added to modern cars, injuries from a collision are likely to be serious if the car is travelling at speed.

Dr Bhattacharyya said: "The human body is made of soft tissue and bone.

"It is no match for the hard metal of a car that has been ripped apart.

"Several factors will influence the seriousness of your injuries - your position in the car, the speed of impact, whether you are wearing a seatbelt or not, or if you have been drinking.

"A driver can suffer head injuries - from a cut to brain damage - by banging into the steering wheel or dashboard. You can break ribs and sustain other chest injuries.

"There is also the risk of impalement on the steering column."

Crash victims are flung forwards when vehicles crash until it comes to a halt - at which point they are propelled backwards from the force of the impact.

Dr Bhattacharyya said: "All this can rip and tear your organs internally, while your outer body can appear unharmed.

"You may be suffering from massive internal bleeding but it is not immediately obvious to medical staff."