CALM down and concentrate!

That is the message to motorists after a day of drama on the A338 Spur Road yesterday.

Rush-hour drivers were dealt yet another dose of traffic misery in the morning as a series of incidents combined to cause extensive tailbacks on the dual carriageway.

And a collision between a lorry and a car at the Cambridge Road roundabout on the Wessex Way caused further problems at lunchtime.

The incidents only served to exacerbate the delays caused by the ongoing Spur Road roadworks, which are due to finish next week.

Jim Beashel, temporary inspector at the Ferndown Road Policing Unit, said: "We would urge people to calm down and concentrate on driving.

"People get stuck going slowly in traffic and their attention seems to switch off.

"We have had more accidents since the roadworks began than we would ordinarily on that road."

Yesterday's first incident occurred just before 7.45am between the Bournemouth West and Richmond Hill roundabouts.

A three-vehicle pile-up blocked one lane of the westbound carriageway on the Wessex Way.

"The incident was caused by the wet conditions and the vehicles had to be moved on to the central reservation," said a police spokesman.

As traffic began to ease, another incident just north of the Cooper Dean roundabout at 8.45am produced further tailbacks.

A van was in collision with a car inside the contraflow on the southbound carriageway, which is being used by both northbound and southbound traffic during the roadworks.

Traffic was brought to a standstill in both directions before the accident was cleared just before 10am.

Matters were not helped by a string of cars overheating and breaking down while stuck in the traffic, while a broken-down lorry also blocked the southbound carriageway for a while.

Alternative routes at Matchams Lane and New Road were still busy beyond 10.30am as drivers sought to find quicker routes into Bournemouth.

Irate employees were only able to make it in to work by mid-morning, with LV and Portman both reporting many staff turning up late.

No-one was injured in the three-vehicle collision, while a driver suffered only minor injuries in the later collision near Cooper Dean.

Lunchtime drivers then suffered long queues after the crash between a French heavy goods vehicle and a Saab at around 1.20pm.

A woman had to be cut free from the wreckage of the car, and, though she was taken to hospital, her injuries were not thought to be serious.