COUNCILLORS have joined forces to urge people to take more care behind the wheel following a number of serious crashes and fatalities.

A number of car and motorbike collisions on the A78 and A760 Haylie Brae have resulted in tragic deaths in recent months, sparking a call for better awareness and driving practices.

Councillor Todd Ferguson is leading the safety drive and is encouraging motorists to always travel within the speed limit and consider weather and road conditions.

He said: “I think we need to have a real look at how residents and visitors to the area are driving.

“Far too many serious accidents are happening, and I don't know whether that is down to poor weather conditions, driver behaviour or a mixture of both.

“The speed that people are driving on some of these roads is ridiculous. People need to be more aware."

Fellow councillor Alan Hill is also backed the campaign - and says his own home village of Fairlie is also becoming an issue.

He explained: “People overtake in the 30pmh section of the village when they have no idea what’s coming out a side street.

“We all assume that everyone else is doing the speed limit and driving safely, but that’s when accidents happen.”

Independent Ian Murdoch believes education is needed to bring down the number of accidents and near-misses.

He said: “This has been raised repeatedly by all of us over the years, but now lives are being lost.

“Everyone seems to be in more of a rush these days and the speeds people are driving at seem to be increasing all the time.

“I don’t know how the issue is resolved, but perhaps a change in education and people’s attitudes would be a good place to start.”

Councillor Tom Marshall says plans are in the works to reduce speeding on the area’s trunk roads.

He explained: “I’ve had a conversation with Amey about the major roads, and lots of initiatives are being discussed.

“We’ve seen a huge number of accidents, and considerations are being made for more speed cameras around Largs and Skelmorlie, or even a reduction in the speed limit in some areas.”

SNP member Eleanor Collier believes that lockdown led to a drop in the standard of driving locally, which in turn is leading to accidents and near-misses on busy roads.

She added: “It can’t be argued that lots of people are not adhering to good driving, and since lockdown I think driving standards have got worse.

“People are not driving to the conditions, with roads that are not ideal, narrow and can be very wet and treacherous especially in the winter months.

"There are a lot of these in this area, and motorists need to take every factor into consideration when getting behind the wheel."