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Peterborough road deaths hit all-time low
THE number of people killed on Peterborough's roads has plummeted by almost 70 per cent in the last year - making it the lowest ever on record.
THE number of people killed on Peterborough's roads has plummeted by almost 70 per cent in the last year - making it the lowest ever on record.There were four fatal collisions in the city in 2009 down 69 per cent from 13 in 2008.
However, safety experts in the city have cautioned against complacency saying four deaths is still an unacceptable number of people killed on Peterborough's roads.
Clair George, of Peterborough City Council's road safety team, said: "These figures are the lowest we have ever seen in Peterborough.
"Although it is good to see such a significant reduction, one death is still one too many.
"It is important that we keep working with partner agencies including the police, NHS, paramedics and the fire service to continue to educate people about not only the legal consequences but also the risks of irresponsible driving."
The fatal accidents claimed the life of 60-year-old Keith Minett, of Drybread Road, Whittlesey, who died when his Vauxhall Corsa car was in collision with a black Audi A4 on the B1040 close to the junction with the North Bank on February 4, 2009.
Classroom assistant Susan Wilson (47), of Drayton, Bretton was also killed last year.
The mother-of-two, who worked at the Voyager School, was at the wheel of a blue Citroen C3 when it collided with a bus on the A47 at Thorney Toll, near Peterborough on May 28, 2009.
Across Cambridgeshire, 23 people lost their lives in 2009 compared to 60 people the previous year, a decrease of 62 per cent.
Police believe the dramatic drop has been influenced by a number of factors including fewer vehicles on the roads due to the recession, targeted enforcement campaigns and the use of driver improvement courses.
Casualty reduction officer, Pc Tony Barrios said: "It is great to see such a dramatic drop in the number of fatal collisions, although 23 deaths is still 23 too many and we cannot be complacent in our work to reduce casualties.
"We will continue to target those people who do not adhere to the law of the roads and educate motorists about safe driving.
"However, this work cannot be done in isolation and all road users can make a real difference and help to reduce collisions.
"Too many serious collisions are caused by human error. By reducing your speed or adapting your driving to the conditions of the roads you can significantly reduce the chance of being involved in a collision."
The majority of the force's work to tackle road safety and enforcement is done in conjunction with the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Road Safety Partnership.
Chairman of the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Road Safety Partnership, councillor Mac McGuire said: "At 23, the number of fatalities across Cambridgeshire during 2009 is the lowest on record, and this is welcome news for everyone travelling through, to and from the county.
"However, when the number of people seriously injured is taken into consideration, the overall number of people who have been either killed or seriously injured during 2009 is 96 which is sadly around the same level we saw in 2008 at 101.
"We still have some way to go to meet our casualty reduction targets for 2010.
"Now is not a time to be complacent and we continue to urge all road users to travel with extreme care and thought for not only themselves, but other road users when they are out and about.
"Road safety remains a top priority for all members of the partnership and we will continue to work to drive down all accidents occurring on the roads."
Related link:
Road death figures - 2009 - www.cambs.police.uk.
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