'Moving' online service held to remember victims of fatal road crashes in Northamptonshire

Rebecca Taylor was killed on a Northamptonshire road in 2008. Her parents are now the co-ordinators of Northampton's branch of RoadPeace.

An annual service to remember loved ones who were killed on Northamptonshire's roads in fatal road crashes was held this weekend.

In any other year, Northampton's Church of the Holy Sepulchre would normally welcome dozens of people bereaved by road crashes for a memorial service organised by RoadPeace.

But amid the coronavirus pandemic, an online commemoration service was held on Sunday for the World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims (November 15).

One of the young lives lost to fatal car crashes who was remembered during the service was 18-year-old Rebecca Taylor, who was killed between Blisworth and Milton Malsor in 2008.

Today, her parents Nicole and Chris co-ordinate Northampton's branch of RoadPeace, which was set up to campaign for reform that would reduce road fatalities.

Chris told this newspaper: "It was a very moving service. There was a series where they put up photographs of people who have lost their lives - our daughter Rebecca was first.

"Road deaths are a problem the Government has allowed to stall for the last eight years. Since 2012 we haven't seen a noticeable fall in road deaths, and in Northamptonshire it's higher than the national average.

"And I have to say, people don't take it seriously enough. There are five people killed every day on our roads, and 68 are seriously injured. If that was on a train or a plane it would be headline news."

In 2019, 42 people were killed on Northamptonshire's roads in 2019, and 31 were killed in 2018.

In 2020, Northamptonshire Police began Op Journey, a road safety education campaign that also takes stricter enforcement action against dangerous driving, speeding and drink driving.

The Fatal Four - speeding, drink/drug driving, not wearing a seatbelt and using a mobile phone at the wheel - are the motoring offences which are most commonly linked to death or serious injury on the roads.

Sunday's online service also featured Northamptonshire's Music & Performing Art Trust's Community Choir singing live for listeners.