RESIDENTS are being reminded of the importance of parking safely in line with Road Safety Week (November 15-21).

Road Safety Week 2021 is showcasing the organisations that work to make roads safer for everyone - from caring for people after a road traffic collision to designing safer roads to.

It also enables everyone who uses roads to understand how they can take responsibility for their own safety and the safety of others.

During the week, HWFRS is encouraging people to be ’Road Safety Heroes’ by considering the needs of the blue light services when they park, remembering that large vehicles - such as fire engines - need extra space to get through and reach an emergency, especially in congested narrow streets.

The service attended over 6,270 vehicle incidents (some 30 more than the previous 10-year period) of various types in the ten-year period between April 1, 2011 and March 31, 2021. Over half of them involved a car and nearly 40 per cent multiple vehicles, with nearly half of all incidents involving the rescue of trapped persons, while over a third involved leaking fuel.

Morning and evening rush hours were the most common times for incidents to occur.

However, whether attending a vehicle incident, a fire or some other emergency, access is vital, as Station Commander Bob Sproat, the HWFRS Road Safety lead, explains: "We fully understand that some streets weren’t designed for the number of cars that residents now have, but don’t forget that a fire engine is around one and a half car widths.

"Ask yourself - if I park here could a vehicle the size of mine get through? Because if not, then a fire appliance almost certainly can’t. Every second counts when someone needs the help of the fire service.

"Bad or careless parking can delay fire engines and emergency vehicles from reaching serious incidents in your area - that could endanger your life and the lives of your families, friends and neighbours.

"Only last month, one of our crews was seriously delayed by bad parking in Llewellyn Road, Kington, while returning to the fire station after helping helping the ambulance service with a cardiac arrest incident.

"The positioning of parked cars could just make the difference between the emergency services being able to save a life or not."