The number of car crashes in the capital are at a five-year high according to new figures released this morning by the London Fire Brigade (LFB).

Firefighters attended 12 per cent more collisions on London’s roads last year with crews attending 4,541 in the capital. 

On average, the Brigade say, crews are cutting six people from their vehicles every week.

The new figures show that Croydon had the highest number of collisions attended by firefighters last year with 267.

Your Local Guardian:

The number of road traffic collisions (RTC) in the past five years (source: LFB)

A spokesman for LFB said: “Crews use specialist cutting and spreading gear, and vehicle stabilising equipment to rescue casualties from their trapped vehicles so that injuries can be treated and lives saved. 

“Vehicles can be found crushed up against other cars and street furniture and even flipped onto their side or roof, which can make rescues more challenging for firefighters and delay those involved getting the urgent life saving medical care they need."

The new figures have been released to coincide with a new campaign by the Department for Transport's (DfT) initiative THINK! to tackle the use of mobile phones while driving.

The campaign was launched on March 1 in line with the new legislation that will see the penalties double for using your phone while driving from three to six points and from £100 to £200.

Group manager for community safety, Mark Hazelton, said: "There are many things that can cause collisions including speeding, and drivers falling asleep at the wheel, but we know that distractions coming from inside people's cars are a major cause of accidents.

"Drivers who use their mobiles while at the wheel are taking a real risk to themselves, their passengers cyclists and pedestrians, and need to start realising how dangerous this is. It is not just their lives they are putting at risk.

"Hopefully this new legislation will make people think a little bit more before picking up their mobile phone to answer a call, read a text or change their music."

In the last five years, firefighters have attended a total of 19,625 road traffic collisions in London.

Got a story? Email sean.morrison@london.newsquest.co.uk