WIRRAL motorists are being urged to make reducing their speed their New Year resolution.

The police warning follows the news that 483 people were seriously injured and 29 died on the roads of Merseyside last year, with excess speed factoring in many of the collisions.

While this was a 50 per cent reduction in the number of people who lost their lives compared to the 58 fatalities in 2009, the Roads Policing Department is continuing to work hard to further reduce the number of people killed or seriously injured on the roads of Merseyside.

Throughout this month, police will be out on the roads carrying out enforcement as well as educating motorists caught breaking the speeding laws.

Chief Inspector John Hogan, head of the Roads Policing Department, said: "We want to start the new year with the message that speed limits are there to save lives and we will be carrying out enforcement and education to try to further reduce the number of people hurt on our roads by drivers prepared to break these laws.

"We are determined to make a difference to the safety of road users and throughout the year we will be focusing on a different theme for our monthly campaigns.

"But we can't do it on our own. We need drivers to pay the roads the care and attention they deserve and passengers to behave accordingly and not distract drivers.

"Together we can make a difference to the safety of road users in Merseyside and ensure that 2011 is a memorable year for all the right reasons and not because of any tragedies."

In the last 10 years, Merseyside Police has reduced the number of people killed or seriously injured on the roads from 833 at the end of 2000 to 512 at the end of 2010 - a fall of almost 40 per cent.