Current timestamp: 22/03/2023 19:11:08
AgeAlertAnonymousAppealsApplicationsApply Or RegisterArea OutlineArrow DownArrow LeftArrow RightArrow UpAutomatic DoorsBack ArrowBusinessCalendarCashArrow DownArrow LeftArrow RightArrow Down[Missing text '/SvgIcons/Symbols/Titles/icon-chrome' for 'English (United Kingdom)']ClockCloseContactDirectionsDocumentDownloadDrawDrugExpandExternal LinkFacebookFb CommentFb LikeFiletype DefaultFiletype DocFiletype PdfFiletype PptFiletype XlsFinance[Missing text '/SvgIcons/Symbols/Titles/icon-firefox' for 'English (United Kingdom)']First AidFlickrFraudGive FeedbackGlobeGuide DogHealthHearing ImpairedInduction LoopInfoInstagramIntercom[Missing text '/SvgIcons/Symbols/Titles/icon-internet-explorer' for 'English (United Kingdom)']LaptopLiftLinkedinLocal ActivityLoudspeakerLow CounterMailMapMap PinMembershipMenuMenu 2[Missing text '/SvgIcons/Symbols/Titles/icon-microsoft-edge' for 'English (United Kingdom)']Missing PeopleMobility ImpairmentNationalityNorth PointerOne Mile RadiusOverviewPagesPaper PlaneParkingPdfPhonePinterestPlayPushchairRefreshReportRequestRestart[Missing text '/SvgIcons/Symbols/Titles/icon-rotate-clockwise' for 'English (United Kingdom)']Rss[Missing text '/SvgIcons/Symbols/Titles/icon-safari' for 'English (United Kingdom)']SearchShareSign LanguageSnapchatStart AgainStatsStats And Prevention AdviceStopSubscribeTargetTattosTell Us AboutTickTumblrTwenty Four HoursTwitterTwitter LikeTwitter ReplyTwitter RetweetUploadVisually ImpairedWhatsappWheelchairWheelchair AssistedWheelchair ParkingWheelchair RampWheelchair WcYoutubeZoom InZoom Out

Quickly exit this site by pressing the Escape key Leave this site

Skip to main content

Skip to main navigation

Welcome

This site is a beta, which means it's a work in progress and we'll be adding more to it over the next few weeks. Your feedback helps us make things better, so please let us know what you think.

Show me the site

Greater Manchester Police logo

Search this website

Main navigation menu

  • Report

    Back to Report

    • Crime
    • Domestic abuse
    • Rape, sexual assault and other sexual offences
    • Road traffic incident
    • Report antisocial behaviour
    • Missing person
    • Fraud, bribery or corruption
    • Civil disputes
    • Lost or found property
    • Lost or stolen vehicles
  • Tell us about

    Back to Tell us about

    • Tell us about possible terrorist activity
    • How to tell us about something you've seen or heard
    • An existing case or report
    • A procession or event you are planning
    • Filming
    • Abnormal vehicle load
  • Apply or register

    Back to Apply or register

    • Careers
    • Charity collection licences
    • Compensation for victims of crime
    • Firearm, shotgun or explosives certificate
    • Attend a misconduct hearing
  • Request

    Back to Request

    • Your fingerprints
    • Information: about the police, about yourself or someone else
  • Thanks and complaints

    Back to Thanks and complaints

    • Complaints
    • Say thanks
    • Feedback about the website
  • Your area

Breadcrumb

  1. ...
  2. News

Mental Health Awareness week: Sgt Andrew Page warns dangerous drivers of emotional impact of their actions

Main article content

Navigation

News

13:55 12/05/2021

Dangerous drivers have been warned by police of the devastating emotional effects their actions can have on others, as part of national mental health awareness week.

Sergeant Andrew Page, of GMP's Serious Collision Investigation Unit (SCIU) based in Eccles, spoke of the life-long impact that one moment of carelessness or dangerous driving can have on the lives of a family when a loved one is cruelly taken from them, or suffers life-changing injuries.

The Unit, established in 2012, attended and subsequently investigated over 70 fatal collisions in Greater Manchester last year and Sergeant Page and his team have witnessed the devastation such incidents can have on families on many occasions.

Sergeant Page said: "A person's life can all come down to one moment of carelessness or dangerous driving, which can end someone's life and then have a lasting effect on that family, as well as ruining your own life and your family's life because if you get convicted - you don’t realise how careful you need to be all the time when you're on the road.

"You might think it's alright, you can overtake a car or run a red light because you're running late, but that split-second decision has massive ramifications on countless people and can end up ruining your life and a completely different family's life for no reason other than making a stupid decision."

 

FCR_ 0015
One of the serious collisions SCIU attended in 2017 where a woman was left with life-changing injuries

After joining GMP as a constable on response on the Salford district in May 2009, Andrew moved to SCIU in October 2016 before becoming a sergeant less than three years later.

During his time in the team, he estimates he has responded to 30 fatal collisions, each leaving a family without a loved one and a responsibility for officers to provide them with much-needed answers, a duty he says is of paramount importance.

"The most important thing we do is get the family the answers. In our area of duty, no one expects a fatal collision to happen so when we go and knock on a family's door and say that their loved one has died that's completely out of the blue, and their life has been ripped apart, so for them to know that we've got the answers is the most important thing that we do."

Understandably, it's a role that can have a personal and emotional impact too on an officer and trauma incident support is available for police personnel after a deployment.

Sergeant Page encourages his team to speak to one another at work and also stresses the importance of taking time away from work for their own mental wellness.

He still spends time on the roads outside of work out on his bike where he likes to go out and cycle up to 30 miles, and also enjoys playing golf.

Speaking of the personal impact the job can have, Andrew added: "I enjoy this job and I think it's one of the best jobs in policing but it's arguably one of the hardest jobs too and we're only there because people don’t drive properly.

"It requires a lot of resilience. There are incidents that have different impacts for different reasons. There was one weekend where I informed three families in the space of 18 hours of a loved one who had died on the road, which had more of an impact than anything else.

"It's important when you finish duty you leave it at work as it can take an effect. I don’t intentionally do anything to take my mind off things, but I just keep busy by doing various things.

"Talking to colleagues is one of the most important things that we can do to be honest. Ultimately, you are seeing people ending their lives in one of the worst ways there is and you're there to pick up the pieces, so talking to each other is one of the best things we can do."

More information about mental wellbeing can be found on the Mental Health Foundation website here: www.mentalhealth.org.uk

Share

Is there a problem with this page?

Footer navigation

We use cookies on this site to give you a better, more personalised experience.

I'm fine with cookies I'd like to manage the cookies

Greater Manchester Police

  • Contact us
  • Find a police station
  • News
  • Careers
  • About us
  • Campaigns
  • Privacy notice
  • Cookies
  • Terms and conditions
  • Accessibility

Information and services

  • Advice and information
  • Crime prevention
  • Stats and data
  • Accessing information (FOI)
  • Report
  • Tell us about
  • Apply or register
  • Request
  • Say thanks
  • Make a complaint

Partners

  • Partner services
  • Police.uk
  • Ask the Police
  • The Mayor of Greater Manchester
  • Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA)

Follow us on

© Copyright 2023. All rights reserved.