IT is a shocking statistic.

According to figures released by Cumbria Police and police and crime commissioner Peter McCall, 26 people have been killed on the county’s roads in the past year.

That is top of the 1,500 others who have been injured in that time.

Behind these numbers will be a tragic story of lost family members who died needlessly as a result of collisions.

In light of these figures it is welcome news that police in Cumbria are aiming to put their foot down on speeding drivers.

It is also a huge positive that officers have achieved results in catching motorist who flout the rules.

Operation Dreadnought has been running since June and has seen 10 warning letters issued, 13 drivers arrested, five given a summons to court, two vehicles seized for no licence and / or no insurance and one offender dealt with via a Traffic Offence report.

Six people have been disqualified from driving and three are awaiting trial.

Those numbers are heartening. But we all know it would be a bigger thing to celebrate if those numbers were lower, if car crime and danger drivers who break the speed limit could be eradicated entirely.

If we do not pay closer attention to our speed in future we could be seeing more people make up those tragic statistics of deaths on our roads.

It could be someone you know.