Video 'shocker' for fast drivers

The video is claimed to be effective in reducing speed

Drivers caught speeding in Cornwall are to be shown a hard hitting video of a fatal accident in a bid to save lives.

Operation Slowdown is a joint initiative between the county council, Devon and Cornwall Police, and the Safety Camera Partnership.

Fifty people were killed and more than 200 seriously injured in road accidents in the county last year.

Those caught will be given the choice of a fine and penalty points, or a 15-minute educational session.

The session includes an upsetting reconstruction of a fatal accident, designed to have a strong impact.

Cars don't kill people - careless and thoughtless drivers do Carol Wright, Operation Slowdown coordinator

It is claimed the video has a longer lasting effect on motorists than the usual penalties.

Drivers will also be asked to consider why they speed, especially in urban areas where pedestrians and children are particularly vulnerable.

Carol Wright, the senior project coordinator for Cornwall County Council, said: "Most people tend to think of dangerous speed in terms of someone hurtling up the dual carriageway.

"But the speeding driver most likely to cause death and injury is the driver who drives at 40mph through a 30mph zone.

"Cars don't kill people - careless and thoughtless drivers do."

The operation will take place at various locations across Cornwall from August until the end of November.