On Friday afternoon shortly after 16:30 a crew from Thame Fire Station, High Wycombe Fire Station and Slade Park Fire Station were mobilised to a road traffic collision involving two vehicles on Chinnor Hill, Chinnor.
On arrival crews were faced with one vehicle on its roof. The driver of that vehicle and its passengers had managed to get themselves out shortly before the fire crews arrived. South Central Ambulance Service assessed the driver and passengers at the roadside and they were taken to hospital for further checks. The driver of the second vehicle was uninjured and was out of their vehicle.
The incident was then handed over to Thames Valley Police.
Here in Thame we’re lucky enough to be surrounded by some beautiful countryside. But did you know more crashes happen on country roads than any other type of road?
In fact in Oxfordshire 60% of road deaths happen on rural roads.
Even if we know the road well, we can never be sure what’s around the bend, perhaps a horse, cyclist, broken down vehicle or even a crash that’s already happened.
Take a minute to read these tips to help make your drive through the countryside as safe and enjoyable as possible.
• Look out for upcoming bends, hidden dips, blind summits and concealed entrances.
• Give yourself time to react to unexpected hazards, brake before the bend, not in it.
• When roads are wet and slippery allow more time to brake, it takes twice as long to stop on wet roads and 10 times longer on icy roads.
• The speed limit is a guide and not a target. Drive at a speed that won’t affect your decision-making ability, this may be well below the limit.
• Drive cautiously at all times. You might know a road like the back of your hand, but you won’t know if there’s a tractor pulling out of a field or a slick of mud waiting on the road.
• Even if you’re familiar with a country road, never take it for granted as the conditions can be different every time.
• Overgrown verges, bushes and trees on country roads can block your view and potentially obscure an oncoming hazard. Always ensure that you can stop safely within the distance that you can see to be clear.
• If you get stuck behind a slow moving vehicle be patient, Dips in roads, bends and other junctions joining your road often hide oncoming vehicles, so unless it's absolutely essential, don't overtake.
• Drive slow and wide when passing more vulnerable road users such as horse riders, cyclists and walkers.
• Ignore your mobile, leave your Sat Nav and other distractions alone, focus on the road.
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