DERBYSHIRE'S police and crime commissioner has pledged to keep a watchful eye over the county's road safety performance following a higher than normal number of fatalities.
Figures presented to a meeting of the strategic governance board showed that the number of killed and seriously injured (KSI) casualties on the county's roads to the end of December 2013 had fallen by 44 to 378 – the lowest number ever recorded by the force.
However, more recent data suggests that at the end of this calendar year the number of KSIs is likely to increase to 2011-12 levels. This is partly due to a rise in the number of fatalities between January and June, from 12 in 2012-13 to 24 this year.
The report said that while the overall rise in KSIs was expected to be small and represents a long-term downward trend in casualties, the performance is being closely monitored to ensure any trends are identified and action is taken.
Motorcycle collisions continue to dominate the statistics, being responsible for 89 of the 378 casualties in 2013.
Young motorists also make up a significant proportion of KSIs, with 26 of the 101 car driver casualties aged between 17 and 25. Pedal cyclists account for 51 of the casualties and pedestrians 72.
Police and crime commissioner Alan Charles said: "Reducing road fatalities and injuries is a huge priority and every hour spent on making our roads safer whether by enforcement, training, education or engineering improvements is worth it if just one less casualty is reported.
"While the picture at the end of December is encouraging, the anticipated increase this year is disappointing. Behind every one of these figures is a family suffering trauma, devastation and loss and robust action is needed to ensure that we continue to save lives.
"We need to respond collectively to this problem and work closely with our partners to target those problem areas which are disproportionately responsible for more collisions and injuries."
