A HEREFORDSHIRE driver has spoken of the serious effect a road accident had on his life and has appealed to motorists to be more careful on the county's roads.

Stuart Pethers, who lives in Little Dewchurch, told the Hereford Times the accident has had a detrimental effect on his life for the last two years.

Since his accident at Peterstow on February 14, 2006, Stuart has had two operations and is now looking for work as he moves towards recovery after being helped by his friends.

"I smashed a bone in my ankle and bruised my ribs in the accident. I was on crutches for six months," Stuart said.

"I had metalwork fitted in my foot a week after the accident and then had a second operation in November 2006 after my body rejected the metalwork."

Stuart, aged 36, says he suffered from a number of personal problems after the accident "All my problems stemmed from the accident I became addicted to strong pain killers because of the pain but I'm off them now.

Stuart's experience has lead him to encourage other drivers to take it steady on the county's roads.

"I am a lot calmer about overtaking now - it's not worth speeding," said Stuart.

He also encouraged all drivers to ensure their observation was of a high standard.