Police have issued a desperate plea to motorists after a "shocking" amount of fatal crashes on the county's roads.
Families and friends of the victims have been left devastated after a number of incidents across Nottinghamshire and police say they are determined to do everything they can to prevent more families from experiencing that same heartbreak.
Investigations are continuing into the four recent collisions, which happened over five days, resulting in six people’s deaths.
Two people died in a crash on the M1 southbound on Thursday, January 20 at around 2.45am, causing the motorway to be shut between junction 25 and 26 for more than 12 hours.
One of the crash victims was later named as Harris Gondwe - his family now want to raise money to transport his body back home to Malawi.
A 25-year-old woman was also pronounced dead at the scene of another crash in Southwell Road, Oxton, on Wednesday, January 19 after a collision between two cars.
Police had also attended another fatal crash just five days earlier on Saturday, January 15, in Chesterfield Road North, Mansfield, where a father and his young son died after a crash between three cars.
They were later named as Dan Woodcock and his young son Henry.
Another man in his 70s died days after being involved in a road traffic collision on Wednesday, January 19, in Retford Road, Bassetlaw, following a crash between two cars, Nottinghamshire Police said.
Superintendent Claire Rukas, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: “Our officers so far this year have attended a shocking number of fatal collisions and it is heartbreaking to have to tell someone that their loved one has died as a result of someone being negligent on our roads.
“We know first-hand how devastating it is for families when they get that dreaded knock on the door from a police officer.
“Officers from across the county regularly carry out operations in a bid to take dangerous drivers off our roads, stop drink and drug-drivers in their tracks and apprehend those using a mobile phone at the wheel.
“We will continue to push these kinds of operations and make it perfectly clear if you are found to be breaking the law and placing people’s lives at risk you will be arrested and dealt with.
“I would like to personally ask every driver to drive carefully and safely and take all the correct precautions to protect themselves and others.
“By listening to this advice, refreshing your memory or simply just using basic safety advice, it could be the difference between life and death – so please take note and help us keep road users safe.”
Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service (NFRS) often attend road traffic collisions alongside the Police and East Midlands Ambulance Service.
Bryn Coleman, Area Manager of NFRS, and chair of Nottingham’s Road Safety Partnership, said: “Our Firefighters attend road traffic collisions to get people to safety following the crash. We have special equipment and use techniques to rescue people trapped in their vehicles.
“Sadly, some road traffic collisions are more serious than others, which is why we want to raise awareness about how dangerous the roads can be.
“We urge people to adhere to the fatal four and we want people to take extra care on the roads to keep themselves and other road users safe to prevent serious collisions, and even fatalities, from happening.”
Nottinghamshire Police has a dedicated road safety team whose officers target the four main causes of crashes - speeding, drink or drug-driving, using a mobile phone while driving and driving without wearing a seatbelt.
And officers are urging drivers to keep the so-called “fatal four” in mind every time they get behind the wheel as these causes often result in the fatality of innocent people.
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