A group of Devon's young farmers got together with firefighters to talk about driving last week.

There has been a rise in the number of road accidents across Devon and Somerset recently and around Honiton in particular.

The team at Honiton Fire Station and Devon and Cornwall Police invited Honiton Young Farmers Club to the fire station to discuss driving in rural areas.

They showed the latest statistics which show that younger drivers are at the greatest risk of being involved in a car crash.

Using real-life examples in case studies, workshops and virtual reality equipment, the road safety teams shared ways to avoid accidents.

South West Farmer: The group. Picture: Honiton Fire StationThe group. Picture: Honiton Fire Station

A spokesperson from the fire station said: "We have seen an increase in RTCs (road traffic collisions) across our regions of Devon and Somerset - in particular around Honiton.

"We are well trained to deal with these incidents when they happen, but they’re all preventable.

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"We are working hard with the police and local councils to understand why these incidents are happening and help prevent them.

"We are asking all drivers to take more care on the roads - no-one expects to be involved in a RTC."

They say that most of the accidents take place within 10 miles of peoples' homes.

They advised the young farmers to plan their journey to allow enough time and to enjoy the drive.

They also urged the young drivers to not be distracted by their mobile phone or passengers as they must be ready to react in an emergency situation.

Not driving when tired is important, as is being courteous and respectful to all motorists and road users - and to keep motorcyclist safe, drivers should always look twice.

Look twice for bikes