'Every person who dies on our roads is one too many' say police as new figures report fall in number of fatal accidents

The number of people who died on Northamptonshire's roads fell by 30 percent in 2018 compared to the previous year, new figures have shown.
Northamptonshire Safer Roads Alliance chairman, Mick StamperNorthamptonshire Safer Roads Alliance chairman, Mick Stamper
Northamptonshire Safer Roads Alliance chairman, Mick Stamper

Overall KSI figures increased by just nine from 279 casualties in 2017 to 288 last year, while the number of people killed on the county’s roads fell by almost 30 per cent from 44 to 31 in the same period. It was the second lowest figure since records began.

While reported injury collisions have fallen from 1,068 in 2017 to 1,041 last year, casualties who sustained slight injuries increased from 1,095 to 1,172, and seriously injured figures rose by 22 to 257.

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Despite this, road safety in Northamptonshire has improved significantly over the last 20 years with more traffic making our county road networks busier than ever before.

A countywide partnership between Northamptonshire Police, Northamptonshire Fire & Rescue Service, The Office of the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner and Northamptonshire Highways representing Northamptonshire County Council was set up last November.

The Northamptonshire Safer Roads Alliance (NSRA) brings key partners together to work on initiatives which aim to reduce the number of people killed or seriously injured and make the county’s roads safer.

Chair of NSRA, Chief Superintendent Mick Stamper, said: “To see the number of people killed on our roads fall last year is very encouraging, and reflects the hard work of all the partners involved in keeping our county roads safe.

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“However, every person who dies on our roads is one too many and we must not forget that behind each statistic is a grieving family or someone coming to terms with a life-changing injury.

“We understand this and are working hard to reduce the number of people killed or seriously injured in Northamptonshire, by focusing on the fatal four – speeding, drink-driving, not wearing a seatbelt and using a mobile phone at the wheel.

“Through education and enforcement, the Safer Roads Alliance will continue to run campaigns and operations to reinforce this message. However, we cannot do this on our own as it is only road users who can change their driving behaviour.”

Statistics show young drivers (aged 16-25) and working drivers are more likely to be involved in a collision than other road users, therefore these are the two groups the NSRA has chosen to concentrate on working within its first year.