CAMPAIGNS for road safety improvements are to be heard in the House of Commons.

Two families from Colchester have led the calls for action to be taken to reduce the number of deaths on the country’s roads.

And next week, the town’s MP Bob Russell, who has supported the campaigns throughout, is to call on the Government to step up to the mark and change the law.

Mr Russell aims to focus his speech on two campaigns which were born out of tragedies.

The first was initiated by Steve and Michelle Bell after their daughter, Jordan, died aged 14 in Layer Road, Colchester.

Following her death, Mr and Mrs Bell collected 3,500 signatures calling on the Government to reduce the drink drive limit to 50 mcgs of alcohol in 100 mls of blood.

Their campaign, supported by County Standard, was given a boost when the North report recommended a reduction in the drink drive limit as part of wide-ranging reforms of driving laws.

However, the Government has resisted calls to reduce the drink drive limit.

The second campaign was launched by Jackie McCord, whose daughter Cassie was mown down by a driver as she stood on the pavement in Head Street, Colchester.

The driver, Colin Horsfall, 87, of Rowhedge, had been advised by police not to drive following an incident three days earlier.

However, he ignored the warnings and mounted the pavement in Colchester town centre and drove into Cassie.

Cassie’s mother Jackie has collected thousands of signatures calling on the Government to allow police officers to temporarily seize a driver’s licence where they consider them unfit to drive.

It will then be down to the DVLA to determine whether the licence should be revoked or returned.

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