Emergency vehicles in 12,000 accidents

Emergency vehicles have been involved in more than 12,000 accidents over the past five years, resulting in 1926 serious injuries and 188 deaths.

This has prompted the Liberal Democrat Shadow Transport Secretary, Norman Baker, to call for a review of procedures followed by emergency vehicle drivers.

Baker said: 'While these vehicles are rightly in a hurry to get to where they are needed, these figures indicate that we need a serious look at what can be done to reduce the number of accidents that they are involved in.

'I have written to both the Home Secretary and the president of the Association of Chief Police Officers calling for a review of the procedures used by emergency service vehicles to look into how accidents can be minimised.'