Shocking new government figures show the carnage on Cambridgeshire’s roads
More people were killed in collisions on Cambridgeshire’s roads last year than in any of the previous three years, according to new government figures.
The figures show that 43 people lost their lives on the county’s roads in 2021 – up from 28 in 2020, the first year of the pandemic, but also higher than the 37 recorded in 2019 and 29 in 2018.
Shockingly, just under a quarter (23 per cent) of the number of people who died were killed on roads with a 30mph speed limit.
Charities have warned that more must be done to tackle the uptick in injuries from traffic accidents across the UK.
Mary Williams, chief executive of the road safety charity Brake, said: “The carnage on roads, that takes lives indiscriminately, devastates families, and causes appalling injuries, must end. No death or serious injury on roads is acceptable.”
The Department for Transport data also reveals that 386 of the 1,336 collisions that occurred in Cambridgeshire were either fatal or resulted in serious injury. In total, there were 1,814 casualties as result of the collisions in Cambridgeshire last year.
The figures show that more men were killed or injured on the roads of Cambridgeshire than women, with the majority of those occupants of cars.
Those injured were mostly aged between 25 and 59 years old, with the majority of incidents occurring on the county’s rural road network.
Cambridgeshire and Peterborough police and crime commissioner Darryl Preston said: “I’ve seen first-hand, as a police officer, the impact and devastation that follows a serious injury or fatal accident.
“It really brings home the importance of education to make sure motorists understand their responsibilities behind the wheel and their duty of care to all road users.
“Fatal or serious injury road accidents are almost always preventable. It’s vital we work together to make a difference and I am grateful to our partners for making this event happen.”
He told the Cambridge Independent: “It is a tragedy that so many people continue to be killed or seriously injured on our roads and the fact that these fatalities are mostly avoidable makes this increase even harder to understand.
“Having to tell loved ones the news that a family member has been killed is one of the hardest jobs in policing.
“Whilst my priority is prevention, I will continue to invest in catching those who drive dangerously, breaking the law.
“Each and every one of us has a duty to drive carefully and protect other road users and that is why supporting the county’s road safety partnership, Vision Zero, remains a priority for me.
“The partnership is making progress in delivering some change when it comes to improving safety on the roads, however this can only work if safety is a shared responsibility between us and everyone who uses the roads and it is important everyone does their bit.
“I urge as many people as possible to join our partnership road safety event in March (Market Square) on October 20.”
Nationally, the government figures show a post-pandemic increase in road deaths and injuries in 2021 compared with 2020 and this picture is reflected in Cambridgeshire.
There were 1,558 deaths on UK roads in 2021, a seven per cent increase compared with 2020. There were 25,892 serious injuries across the country, meaning for every death there were more than 16 serious injuries.
The United Nations target is a reduction of 50 per cent in deaths and serious injuries on roads by 2030. Casualty reduction in Britain in recent years has been occurring at a slower rate than other European nations, and has now increased.
A family liaison officer who supports families following the death of a loved one on Cambridgeshire’s roads this week issued a plea to the public to listen to safety advice and stick to the speed limits.
The officer spoke as part of the forces’ support for the national NPCC anti-speeding campaign, which runs between October 10 and 30. It aims to reduce the number of people killed or seriously injured.
Although most people do not speed, the campaign aims to change the behaviour of the few that do and also enforce against those who continue to put their own lives and the lives of other innocent road users at risk by speeding.
PC Sam Sparkes, who works for the road policing collaborated unit in Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire, has spoken out after consoling families for many years. Her job is to tell families that their loved one will not be coming home because they’ve been killed in a road traffic collision.
PC Sparkes said: “It is devastating to tell families that their loved one has been killed or seriously injured in a crash. People react differently, and it is my job to manage the many emotions that family members have.
“I have been to many road traffic collisions where speed was a factor and could have simply been avoided.
“My message is simple, please do not risk your life, and that of other people by speeding – stick to the limits to make sure you arrive back home to your family safely.”
PC Sparkes provides support and information to help families come to terms with what has happened, and talk them through any criminal proceedings taking place.
Enforcement as part of the NPCC national speed operation will run between October 17 and 30.
This campaign coincides with Project EDWARD’s (Every Day Without A Road Death) week of action which runs between October 17 and 21.
The national initiative is backed by the government, the emergency services, highways agencies, road safety organisations and British businesses.
In Cambridgeshire, officers will be patrolling accident hotspots and carrying out speeding checks across the county as part of the campaign.
Road safety experts are set to descend on March on October 20 as part of the campaign, with other events expected to take place around the county.
Organised in partnership with the county’s Vision Zero Partnership, the interactive event will offer visitors an opportunity to speak to road safety experts and gain advice on a host of issues from cycle safety through to what to do to protect horses using Cambridgeshire’s roads.
The event marks a new approach to road safety which is aimed at boosting engagement with communities and developing multi-agency collaboration to address all angles of the issue.
Vision Zero Partnership manager Matt Staton added: “The Vision Zero approach is all about recognising the shared responsibility we all have for safety on the roads.”
Cllr Alex Beckett, chair of the highways and transport committee at Cambridgeshire County Council, said: “Project EDWARD is an excellent national campaign that I am pleased to see Cambridgeshire taking part in once again.
“The Vision Zero Partnership adapts these events to local community needs, bringing in partners and activities that the local area will benefit from most.”
To highlight the preventable deaths and injuries on UK roads, Brake will launch a Road Safety Week from November 14 to 20. The charity is appealing for schools, communities, and employers to get involved and shout out for safer roads by signing up for a free Road Safety Week action pack.
The pack gives tips and advice on shouting out for road safety. It also gives ideas about how to fundraise for Brake’s National Road Victim Service, which supports 1,000 bereaved and catastrophically injured road victims a year who are facing the shock and devastation of the death or terrible injury of a loved one.
Ms Williams added: “We urge everyone to sign up to take part in Road Safety Week in November to raise awareness of the cause, shout out for safety on our streets, and get fundraising for Brake and our vital help for road crash victims’ families.”
To find out more, visit brake.org.uk/RSW.
