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A sharp rise in the number of serious crashes on the Island has led to a safety call from fire chiefs.
According to the Island's Chief Fire Officer Steve Apter, there has been a recent spike in the number of fatal and serious injury road traffic incidents his crews have been called to.
Investigations are continuing into collisions including one at Lushington Hill that killed two people at the end of July, and a serious crash on the Cowes to Newport Road in August, which killed a 10-year-old girl.
Speaking to Isle of Wight Radio, Steve Apter said: "Our hearts go out to the families and friends of those who have been affected by the incidents.
"Generally the Fire and Rescue Service attends the more serious incident and, yes, recently there has been a spike, an increase, in those types of incidents we've been responding to unfortunately," he added.
Mr Apter is now urging motorists to take extra care on the Island's roads, saying there is no one reason for the recent spate of incidents: "It's a complex issue. Issues such as driver behaviour, speeding, driving appropriate to the conditions - all of these are factors that I am sure and I am confident that the police will be looking into as they investigate the causes of the incidents we have experienced recently."
And he added that cyclists have also been among those recently involved in an increase in incidents: "We've had a real issue on the Island recently around cyclists. It's great that we've seen an increase in the use of cycles, but we've conversely seen an increase in incidents where cyclists and pedestrians are involved. So the message to anybody on the roads is to just be aware of your surroundings, and just take care."
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