As the holiday season continues, police in Wiltshire are warning motorists to check their speed.

We find out how hard it can be to pick up the pieces.

Thousands of holiday makers travelling through Wiltshire are being warned they risk serious penalties if they choose to speed through some of the county's villages.

The warning comes from the Wiltshire and Swindon Road Camera Partnership, who, along with the county's police force, say that people are simply driving too fast for the road conditions.

In a crackdown on speed, the Partnership is appealing to drivers to take extra care on the roads during the holiday season - and at all times drive at an appropriate speed.

Visible: speed camera at Winterbourne Stoke

Roadside safety cameras and mobile speed detection cameras are in use along the A303, in an effort to persuade drivers to keep within safe limits.

Clive Nicholls, manager of the Central Road Safety Unit says, "Making people more aware of the speed limits and helping them to understand the need to comply with them at all times will prove to be a positive step towards improving safety on our roads."

There is overwhelming evidence that speed is a factor in around a third of all crashes in which people are killed or seriously injured.

We want people to enjoy their visit to the West Country and to remember their holiday for the right reasons, not because they were involved in a crash.

Clive Nicholls

Road safety cameras in Wiltshire have been highlighted by using yellow backing, making them more visible to drivers.

The cameras are also clearly signed well in advance.

The idea is not to catch drivers out, but to encourage them to slow down and travel at a safe speed helping prevent deaths and injuries on Wiltshire's roads.

Sergeant Nick Blencowe is from the Central Road Safety Unit based at Chippenham Police Station.

He says that speeding traffic is a general problem wherever you go but one road attracts more than its fair share of incidents.

"Last year, on the A303, which covers about 30 miles through the county, there were 74 personal injury collisions, 18 of which were either fatal or serious."

Nick also acknowledges that speeding traffic through villages such as Winterbourne Stoke, which lies half-way along the Wiltshire stretch of the A303, makes life difficult - and dangerous - for residents.

Sergeant Nick Blencowe

"People do need to slow down and be mindful of the pedestrians and vehicles in a village such as Winterbourne Stoke - even though it is still a main road with an awful lot of traffic."

There are about a hundred sites around Wiltshire where drivers risk being caught breaking local speed limits.

However, with today's more comfortable cars, people are often unaware of the outside world and can sometime remain oblivious to the conditions around them.

"When you are travelling in a modern car, where noise is reduced to minimum, a lot of creature comforts are around you, it is easy to become a bit detached from what is happening on the road," Nick says.

He says that driving requires continual attention to the traffic situation around you.

Another statistic: accident on the A303

"It's quite a strenuous activity, which is why we recommend drivers take regular breaks because tiredness is also a factor to take into account and people should only drive when they are fully fit to do so."

For those who repeatedly ignore speed limits and find themselves caught on camera, the fines can be severe and can result in the offender being banned from driving.

"The fines were raised recently for fix penalty offences and they are probably about the right level," says Nick.

However, he is quick to add that the campaign is not so much focussed on the penalties for speeding but more so on driver education.

"The campaign is about persuading people to comply with the law - not simply because they run the risk of being fined but also to make journeys in Wiltshire safer for everyone," Nick adds.

It can be very painful to have to explain why a loved one has been unexpectedly killed or seriously injured in an incident - it is something that one never quite gets over.

Sgt Nick Blencowe

Away from the statistics, technology and fines, Nick is is keen to remind people about the human consequences associated with a serious road accident.

"Some of the things we have to deal with can be very distressing and very difficult to accept, especially when it was apparent that the accident was avoidable.

"We not only have to deal with the immediate scene, investigate what has happened and prevent any further accidents, we also have to deal with family and relatives, which in itself can be a very demanding task."

Speaking for all those police officers working in the Force's traffic division, Nick concludes, "We would far rather deal with the prevention of this problem than having to deal with the tragic incidents, which occur far to often."