BOY racers and elderly motorists were today blamed for the shocking accident record on some of Merseyside’s roads.

Wirral was revealed as having the highest proportion of people killed or seriously injured in car crashes of any built-up area in the country.

Police statistics showed there is a death or serious injury the equivalent of every other day in the borough, with 130 children injured on the roads in 2008.

They also said 900 people were killed or badly hurt in the past five years.

Police believe the relative wealthiness of parts of Wirral has created a glut of young drivers from well-off families with powerful cars – and a steadily growing population of older motorists. They also warned drivers to slow down, wear seatbelts and stop using mobile phones at the wheel – or face the consequences.

Chief Superintendent Jon Ward, Wirral area commander, said: “What more do we need to do to get this message across?

“Too many times, we hear people getting speeding tickets and being pulled over for mobile phones saying ‘why don’t you catch proper criminals?’ The figures show the result of this kind of driving is misery and we are going to step up our work with the council to address it.”

This year, officers have given out 2,643 on-the-spot fines for speeding and 2,868 to motorists not wearing seatbelts and using mobile phones.

Another 489 people were caught drink driving – about one in 600 of Wirral’s 300,000 population.

Inspector Kate Cunningham said: “Young people feature in these figures and parents have to be responsible when buying cars for them.

“People tell us that we should be targeting the ‘boy racers’ but the truth is, the bulk of these figures are caused by ‘normal’ drivers and their behaviour.

“Wirral has quite a large older population and we found we are recording a disproportionate number of accidents due to illness and poor health among the over 55s.

“That problem is reflected in these figures.”

see. its not really because of us lot

I got called a boy racer when i got pulled in the 200 back in aug went off my head at the copper cos i was

1. being tarred with the same brush
2. was at the time 30

And when asking my d.o.b was older than the copper by a year cheaky git.

Somthing has to be done though cos the amount of idiots who fly about at the is high.

I reckon one way to slow people down, is to limit the size of cars people can buy, according to their age, Just like with motorbikes.

If everyone has to start off in a 1.0, and can't go over a 1.2 until their 21, that would prevent people driving cars way too powerful for them.

At Wirral Grammar, a number of the lads in my year all had crashes, the worst being someone in a 1.6 Astra, who managed to roll on a small road in a Housing Estate, through someones hedge!! Having been down there numberous times, I still cant understand why. But the number one trend with them all was they had cars that were 1.4 to 1.8..and theyd only just passed their tests...

Stick em in a 1.0...and if anyone is caught speeding under the age of 25.. then they should be restricted to 1.2 as well...

could you restrict it to age? I didnt start driving until I was 23, not saying I thought "hey, I can drive, lets speed like a b@stard!" but I would imagine a lot do!

Well, with Bikes, the limit is in place until the age of 21, when the rider is then able to take a full Motorcycle test. Anyone after 21 can take the test and go straight onto a large powered bike.

Its not a perfect fix...but it would surely reduce a lot of the accidents that are caused by young people.

possibly but the arrogance/complacency that comes with some new drivers, regardless of age is dangerous, however, power restrictions would be as welcome as a horny dog and personally cant see it happening

Precisely. Its the normal take on things that most British people take. Compared to Sweden, the safest country in the world...their government introduce a rule, and the country follows.

Britain, we introduce a rule, and people complain and shrug it off. Then complain of the problm of Boy Racers etc.

Thats not a go at you by the way Sir Long...Just the general British take on things...

im not opposing it, just doubt it would happen, I hate seeing little scrotes tearing around, weaving traffic in a car thats too powerful for them.

Funniest thing is seeing little scrotes in a shopping trolley thinking its a Ferrari, I even saw one tool in full leathers on a moped once, trying to give it full lean around corners!

hmmm.....do i need to get on my soap box?

restriction is a good idea.

But isn't the RX7 a 1.3?

its is but the equivalant of a 2.6 innit ?

Restriciton isnt the way forward.
Better standards of driving...higher standards of testing....and repeated tests throughout adult life...esp when older are the way forward imho

The penalty points system isnt ideal either....
belgium have got it right...sliding scales on income form the base for the fine.
Hit people in the pocket and it will soon slow them down.
Fine a young kid 300 quid when hes on apprentiships wages really hurts him....Fine a millionaire 300 quid and its nothing....
fine the millionaire 300,000 quid for the same offence..and he too will slow down!
Hence my logic.
Points system is unweildy and takes far too long to have any impact.
Fine at the roadside...payable on the spot...or get locked up...easy as that....in an ideal world