THE Isle of Wight Ambulance Service is calling for safer driving on the Island's roads this winter.

During 2015 (the latest statistics available) 422 people were injured on the Island's roads.

Of these 78 were seriously injured and five people died.

Ambulance staff have urged drivers to take care and not create extra strain on the service.

Grahame Jackaman, driver training officer for the Isle of Wight Ambulance Service, said: "We would urge all drivers to act responsibly, stick to the speed limits, don't drive under the influence of either alcohol or drugs and to be careful during wet or icy conditions or when visibility is poor.

"A careful driver is a responsible driver. Getting somewhere safely is more important than being a few minutes late for something."

Paramedic and operational service delivery manager, Darron Howard, said: "Responding to road traffic incidents makes up a significant part of our work and when there are multiple casualties this can place a significant strain on the Island's ambulance resources.

"We train with our police, fire and rescue colleagues and others to ensure that we can deal with these incidents but stopping these incidents from happening in the first place is more important."