POLICE and volunteers highlighted the dangers of rural roads to coincide with a European wide speed enforcement campaign from 19-25 August.

In Cheshire, police warned agricultural drivers about their blind spot whilst also advising road users about overtaking on country lanes.

A rural Am I in Your Blind Spot? campaign launched by Cheshire Police – looks at common road manoeuvres which can result in rural road accidents.

These include rear end collisions when the road user can sometimes misjudge the speed and directional changes of a tractor as it approaches from behind.

In the past year, there have been a total of 23 people who were injured in road collisions involved in agricultural vehicles in Cheshire, said police sergeant Rick Weaver.

"One of our priorities will be in the detection of excess speed in rural areas; but we are also using the blind spot campaign to warn other road users about overtaking on country roads.

"Of the fatal road collisions that have occurred this year ? involving motorcyclists ? speed and poor planning are contributory factors as they try to overtake when it is not always safe to do so."

The Department of Transport states that exceeding the speed limit or driving at an inappropriate speed is a major contributory factor in around one third of all road traffic collisions.

Fatal accidents are four times as likely on rural roads as urban roads, according to detailed studies by the Department for Transport Think! campaign on speed awareness.

In south-west England, hundreds of volunteers worked side by side with Avon and Somerset Police as part of the national speed awareness campaign.

Community Speed Watch (CSW) groups held a dedicated week of speed checks across the force area – joined at the roadside by traffic and neighbourhood officers.

Volunteers carried out hundreds of speed checks in towns and villages over the course of the week and anyone caught speeding was issued with a warning letter by police.

Officers also stopped motorists caught speeding during the sessions and reminded drivers about the dangers of excessive speed in residential areas.

"Speeding is one of the four main causes of serious injuries and deaths on the region's roads," said chief inspector Yan Georgiou.

"This is why we are running a number of activities during speed enforcement week to remind drivers to slow down and to raise awareness of the dangers of speeding.

"The week of action is also a great opportunity to highlight the work of the CSW volunteers and the hours of their time they give up helping to make their communities safer."

Police and Crime Commissioner Sue Mountstevens said police volunteers did a fantastic job supporting the police and the operation helped to recognise their contribution.

"Residents have spoken to me about speeding as an issue they are concerned about. These weeks of action are one of the ways that police and volunteers are helping to tackle this issue.

"I would also encourage people to get involved in CSW schemes and to report any concerns they may have about speeding in their area to their local beat team."