SCARCELY a week goes by without the Hereford Times reporting a fatal accident or serious collision on our roads: we can only imagine the suffering of the family and friends of those involved.

Figures released last week by the county's Safer Roads Partnership reveal a 75% increase in road deaths last year compared with the previous year - 21 people died on our roads in 2007 compared with 12 in 2006.

With the aim of doing more than report these tragedies, the Hereford Times this week launches a safer driving campaign.

Road casualties affect all of us, directly and indirectly, and we want all our readers to become involved in the campaign to cut the carnage.

Over the next few weeks, the Hereford Times wants you, our readers, to become involved in our safer driving campaign.

In the course of the campaign we will encourage better driving and look at how we can all become safer on our roads.

Our campaign is backed by the police, fire and ambulance services, the Safer Roads Partnership, the Institute of Advanced Motorists, Herefordshire Council, Councillor Brian Wilcox, the council's cabinet member for highways and transportation, and MPs Paul Keetch and Bill Wiggin.

But, most of all, we need your support.

Please write, fax, email your views, ideas and experiences to us at: the Hereford Times, Holmer Road, Hereford, HR 4 9UJ, htnewsdesk@ midlands.co.uk or click on the link at herefordtimes.com Please identify your messages as Safer Driving Campaign'.

And let's hope that together we can make 2008 a safer year to drive on our roads.