Deaths and injuries on Staffordshire roads cut by 25pc
Deaths and serious injuries on the roads have plummeted by more than 25 per cent in a year in Staffordshire, new figures have revealed.
The latest statistics are the lowest ever recorded for the county and put Staffordshire roads among the top three safest in the UK.
Highways bosses say the improvements are the result of a concerted campaign to reduce the number of those killed and badly hurt in traffic collisions.
Among measures introduced have been 20mph speed indicator devices, 'walking' buses and an initiative aimed at motorcyclists. Figures for 2013 show a reduction of 25.3 per cent in the number of deaths and serious injuries from road accidents compared to the same January – December period the previous year.
A breakdown shows that last year 165 people were either killed or seriously injured compared to 221 in 2012, a reduction of 56. The number of people slightly injured has also fallen by 6.3 per cent to 2,697, a drop of 180. Councillor Simon Tagg, cabinet support member for transport, called the figures 'incredibly encouraging.'
He said: "They prove that the hard work and innovative campaigns we are running to make our roads safer are paying off.
"Our 20mph speed indicator devices that have already been rolled out to over 160 schools are encouraging motorists to slow down and we intend to build on this success even further."
The partnership was set up with the aim of reducing road casualties through a combination of education and training programmes.
Glynn Luznyj, head of risk reduction at Staffordshire Fire and Rescue, said: "These figures are extremely positive and demonstrate the life-saving effect that we can have by working closely with our partners in the police and at the county council."
