Major fall in fatal and serious injuries on Suffolk roads
Monday, 17th January 2011.
Motorists seem to be listening to road safety advice, judging by a drop in the number of people killed and seriously injured on the county’s roads in 2010.
Furthermore, the amount of people who were killed on Suffolk’s roads has nearly halved from the previous five years' average.
It will be the first time since 2007 that Suffolk is able to report an annual reduction in levels of killed or seriously injured (KSI) casualties.
In 2009 the number of KSI casualties was 367; estimates for 2010 report the number will be just above 300.
Based on these figures the worst case would see the county reporting a reduction of 16 per cent against 2009. Should the final result be closer to 300 then an 18 per cent reduction would be reported (2010 figures at the moment are provisional and subject to change).
In relation to fatal casualties, in the last five years the average number of fatal collisions per year is 35.0, while the average number of people killed as a result of those collisions is 38.8.
In 2009 42 people were killed on Suffolk’s roads as a result of 37 collisions. In 2010 both these figures dropped to 20 representing a 52 per cent reduction in casualties and is the lowest number recorded in recent years.
Estimates of child (0-15) KSI casualties in 2010 show levels are likely to be at their lowest since before the Millennium.
Ch Insp Ady Dawson of Suffolk police's roads policing said: “It is pleasing to see that these figures have dropped so significantly.
"We have been working with our partners and re-iterating our safe driving messages, which seem to have been taken on board by Suffolk’s motorists.
"It is also likely that the severe weather at the beginning and end of the year actually helped bring the figures down. Although we get lots of collisions when there is snow and ice about, they are often at low speeds and not serious.
“Therefore, while we would like to take this opportunity to praise the drivers on our roads for helping to keep them safe, we want to remind everyone not to become complacent.
"The fact remains that 20 people lost their lives on our roads last year and this figure will never be low enough until it is at zero.”
Cllr Guy McGregor, portfolio holder for roads, transport and planning at Suffolk County Council, said: “Road Safety is the responsibility of all road users and as my portfolio covers road safety I am thrilled with the reductions of deaths and serious injuries on Suffolk roads.
"In the future there will be less money available for road safety so we must all play our part in keeping driving standards up and the awareness that roads can be dangerous places, although all the agencies do their best to minimise the dangers.”
Furthermore, the amount of people who were killed on Suffolk’s roads has nearly halved from the previous five years' average.
It will be the first time since 2007 that Suffolk is able to report an annual reduction in levels of killed or seriously injured (KSI) casualties.
In 2009 the number of KSI casualties was 367; estimates for 2010 report the number will be just above 300.
Based on these figures the worst case would see the county reporting a reduction of 16 per cent against 2009. Should the final result be closer to 300 then an 18 per cent reduction would be reported (2010 figures at the moment are provisional and subject to change).
In relation to fatal casualties, in the last five years the average number of fatal collisions per year is 35.0, while the average number of people killed as a result of those collisions is 38.8.
In 2009 42 people were killed on Suffolk’s roads as a result of 37 collisions. In 2010 both these figures dropped to 20 representing a 52 per cent reduction in casualties and is the lowest number recorded in recent years.
Estimates of child (0-15) KSI casualties in 2010 show levels are likely to be at their lowest since before the Millennium.
Ch Insp Ady Dawson of Suffolk police's roads policing said: “It is pleasing to see that these figures have dropped so significantly.
"We have been working with our partners and re-iterating our safe driving messages, which seem to have been taken on board by Suffolk’s motorists.
"It is also likely that the severe weather at the beginning and end of the year actually helped bring the figures down. Although we get lots of collisions when there is snow and ice about, they are often at low speeds and not serious.
“Therefore, while we would like to take this opportunity to praise the drivers on our roads for helping to keep them safe, we want to remind everyone not to become complacent.
"The fact remains that 20 people lost their lives on our roads last year and this figure will never be low enough until it is at zero.”
Cllr Guy McGregor, portfolio holder for roads, transport and planning at Suffolk County Council, said: “Road Safety is the responsibility of all road users and as my portfolio covers road safety I am thrilled with the reductions of deaths and serious injuries on Suffolk roads.
"In the future there will be less money available for road safety so we must all play our part in keeping driving standards up and the awareness that roads can be dangerous places, although all the agencies do their best to minimise the dangers.”
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