THE FIRE service has given a sharp reminder of a life and death matter as we welcome a new year.

West Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service (WYFRS) posted on its Twitter page this morning with a warning for those returning to the office or place of work tomorrow.

The tweet urged people not to speed on these journeys and explained that "1mph can mean the difference between life and death".

The Government's Defence School of Transport - which provides driver and transport management training to personnel from the Army, Royal Air Force and Royal Marines - shared a video in November 2020 of fire officers training for various road traffic collision scenarios, as part of Road Safety Week.

It reiterated the message that WYFRS has published about 1mph being the difference between life and death.

A post with the video also said: "Someone is injured on a UK road every four minutes, with vehicle speed playing a part in every crash."

It added: "The formula is simple: the higher the speed, the longer the stopping distance, the harder the crash and the greater the risk of death and injury."

WYFRS's tweet from today said: "First day back in the office tomorrow after the New Year celebrations?

"If you're driving into the office, watch your speed!

"When it comes to road safety SpeedMatters in a crash, 1mph can mean the difference between life and death."