The West Mercia Police and Crime Commissioner has welcomed the Government’s progress around road safety.
There were nearly 2000 collisions on West Mercia’s roads in 2017/18 with around a quarter of these resulting in deaths or serious injuries. The Commissioner is pleased with the headway that has been made both locally and nationally with an increase in penalties for mobile phone use, further Government funding around drug driving enforcement and new legislation allowing learner drivers to gain experience on the motorways before passing their test.
In a Government announcement, a further £100 million is being invested to improve some of the most dangerous stretches of A roads, including an investment of nearly £4 million in Shropshire. There will also be a further investment in resources for the police including breathalyser kits as well as a greater focus on more in depth analysis around road safety, and further work focusing on rural road users and other priority groups.
Commissioner John Campion said “Too many people are dying or seriously injured on our roads, and it is excellent news that the government are making this a priority. The national investment in resources for policing and the significant progress so far is great news for our communities, particularly those in rural areas where the risks can be higher.
I am also reassured by the progress of West Mercia Police locally, with extensive work around enforcement, and awareness to target and change driver attitude. Road safety continues to be a high priority for me, and I will continue to ensure everyone is working together to keep road users safe.”
The Statistics:
- In 2017/18 there were a total of 1,944 road traffic collisions in West Mercia (fatal, serious injury and slight injury). This is an 11% decrease compared to the total no. of road traffic collisions in 2016/17
- In 2017/18 there were 477 road traffic collisions resulting in someone being killed or seriously injured (a quarter of total RTCs in the year). This is a 2% increase on the previous year.
- 533 people were killed or seriously injured on the roads in West Mercia in 2017//18
- On average 45 people are killed or seriously injured on the roads each month (This figure has remained stable since April 2015)
Issued: Thursday 14th June 2018
