A driver or passenger was killed every three-and-a-half days, a motorcyclist every 16-and-a-half days and a pedestrian killed or injured every ten hours in Sussex last year.

These shocking statistics have been released by East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service who say they are now called to more road traffic accidents than fires.

In 2005, 106 people died on the roads in Sussex.

In East Sussex the number of accidents the fire service attended rose from 554 in 1996, to 737 in 2004.

Human error is a contributory factor in approximately 95 per cent of road crashes.

The fire service is trying to make roads safer by launching a road safety strategy at Brighton Marina on Thursday, which will be attended by the Minister for Fire, Angela Smith. The strategy will aim to reduce the number of people killed or seriously injured on the roads throughout the county.

East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service will focus on encouraging and supporting partnerships with other emergency services involved with road safety, such as Sussex Police, in reaching Government targets to reduce road accidents.

By 2010 it aims to have reduced the number of people killed or seriously injured in road accidents by 40 per cent, the number of children killed or seriously injured by 50 per cent and the overall casualty rate by ten per cent.

Des Prichard, chief fire officer at East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service, said: "We deal with the aftermath of road accidents and the impact they have on human lives every day.

"Statistics are now at such a level that we must take action with our partners to try and prevent such incidents from taking place."

The emergency services have already worked together on Safe Drive, Stay Alive - a hard-hitting road safety campaign that was launched earlier this year aimed at 16 to 18-year-olds learning to drive.

The fire service is also supporting an initiative called Local Intervention Fire Education (Life), a fire safety training course for young people.

The course shows the consequences of dangerous and illegal driving.

The service will work with Sussex Police and other organisations to identify those places which are notorious for road accidents and work to reduce the number of accidents.

A training programme for dealing with road crashes is being developed for the national Fire Service College and all staff will receive training over the next two years.

On Friday and Saturday fire brigades from across the country will show the public how they deal with road accidents at a two-day event at Brighton Racecourse.

More than 50 teams of firefighters from around the UK will battle against each other in a competition that involves rescuing casualties trapped in vehicles.

Both days at this year's competition will be free and open to members of the public.

For information call 0845 1308855 or visit www.esfrs.org