Glyn and Marie Koester know better than most of us the importance of road safety. Their 14-year-old daughter Jenny died after being struck by a van just yards from her home.

Her parents are now lending their support to National Road Safety Week.

The words, road safety, are no more than a cliche to many lucky enough to have avoided being involved in an accident.

But to the Koester family, they have a real meaning.

A driver, who has never been traced, made a fatal mistake by ushering Jenny across the road into the path of oncoming traffic he couldn't see.

With our roads becoming more congested by the day, it is important that we all reflect on the way we behave, as drivers, cyclists, bus passengers or pedestrians.

We all have to make split-second decisions. Often they will be right, occasionally they will be wrong.

When they are wrong, we might get away with it, but sometimes, they will be catastrophic, with other people becoming the victims.

The Government, councils and police have a vital role to play in making sure our roads are as safe as possible, by means of laws, rules and enforcement.

But on the ground, it is up to us to take that extra bit of care, for the protection of ourselves as well as other people.

Only then will be begin to reduce the terrible toll of deaths and injuries.