Increase in road accidents puts Lincolnshire in top 10 of nationwide danger list
The number of accidents on Lincolnshire roads has put the county in the top ten of a nationwide danger list.
Data from the Department for Transport shows there were 2,355 accidents in Lincolnshire in 2011.
The figures include 45 deaths, 366 serious and 1,944 slight injuries, putting the county in eighth place, followed by Staffordshire and Nottinghamshire.
Kent tops the list with 4,211 accidents, with Surrey second with 4,023 incidents.
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Lincolnshire's accident rate is 5.2 per 1,000 vehicles, compared to the national figure of 4.6. Casualty rates have risen nationally since 2010 and it has led a road safety charity to call for urgent action.
Simon Best, chief executive of the Institute of Advanced Motorists, said: "Cutting road safety education and reductions in local authority spending all suggest that road safety isn't a major priority for this Government. The Government must bring back targets for road safety.
"While our real aim should be for no deaths or injuries – as is the case on the railways – simply meeting the European target of reducing deaths by 50 per cent by 2020 would in itself save a thousand lives."
So far this year, 27 people have been killed on the county's roads. But this compares to 41 at this point in 2011.
The spokesman for the Lincolnshire Road Safety Partnership, John Siddle, said the target of halving the number of road deaths locally by 2010 had been surpassed.
But despite any targets, Mr Siddle said it is important to prioritise road safety work where it is most needed.
"For example, if the number of child deaths went up we would change our focus accordingly," he said.
"We recognise that we are rated badly compared to the rest of the country but there's much more work to be done and significantly less cash about. Lincolnshire's road network is massive.
"There's always going to be the driver that allows themselves to be distracted, or drives recklessly or carelessly.
"Then there's those that ignore the speed limit, not just excess speed, but inappropriate speed."
Advanced motorist Gary Hill, 71, of Chippendale Road, Birchwood, Lincoln, said training is the key to safer driving.
He said: "I think it's all about education through initiatives like driving assessments, speed seminars and 2fast2soon, which has done some wonderful work with young drivers."
Comments
by Sedgepeat
Monday, December 17 2012, 8:31PM
“This is no more than Lincolnshire Road Safety Partnership upping the anti to keep in business. Fact is Mr Siddle isn't and expert in road safety merely a media spokesman, neither is Mr Hill or Simon Best. When will the Echo use experts for balance. Both the IAM & The LRSP have vested interest.
My association uses fatals only as a guide because dead is dead, cannot be manipulated and is objective. 2010 was an all time low in Lincolnshire and these things do fluctuate but the trend is still downward. This year seems to be heading toward the 2010 level again. So what is this really about? Trying to ensure the new Police Commissioner doesn't see a way of making better use of our police budget by disbanding the LRSP?”
by wilwright
Thursday, November 22 2012, 7:49PM
“With the disgusting condition of the roads I'm not surprised.”
by Hermione46
Tuesday, November 20 2012, 11:24PM
“bill2b
With you on double yellow lines. Apparently they are painted on roads where parking would cause a hazard or major traffic congestion. Well, unless you have a blue badge, then obviously you are causing a different and presumably acceptable kind of hazard or congestion.
The roads of Lincolnshire are mainly single carriageway. That means that lorries have to travel at 40mph. When you have to follow one all the way up the undulating A15 from Lincoln to Scunthorpe you get very frustrated and I am surprised that there are not more accidents. If lorries are unsafe over 40mph the make it a blanket speed limit for lorries on all roads.”
by bill2b
Tuesday, November 20 2012, 9:01PM
“GSX11
I agree with your comments re the way learner drivers being taught.
I get sick and tired of seeing Learner cars, parked in ridiculous places, doing 3 point turns on fast busy roads, and more. I do not blame the learners its the instructors at fault. I did phone up RAC once when I saw one of their learner cars parked unoccupied on double yellows on Portland St for well over 1/2 an hour, not a good example for new drivers.
Another issue is the way drivers with access to disabled passes abandon their cars on Greetwell rd when visiting the hospital often just over the road from the frequent bus stops which completely blocks the road just so these cheapskates can save a couple of pounds. There is often a Rolls Royce parked there. you would think someone with such a car would not want to risk parking it on such a busy road. All to save a couple of quid.”
by gsx1100
Monday, November 19 2012, 7:34PM
“Just a couple of points raised by thomasr1976 and InsideStory.
If you both think this is limited to Lincolnshire, you need to get out more. This isn't a local problem.
Whilst there are a lot of points I agree with, the problem may lie with the way learner drivers are shown to pass the driving test, rather than taught to drive.”
by InsideStory
Monday, November 19 2012, 6:59PM
“The drivers in lincolnshire show no courtesy to other road users and dont know the highway code overtaking parked vehicles into oncoming traffic forcing other traffic to take evasive action to avoid a collision.Plus all the points made by thomasr1976.
I have now purchased a window dash cam to my vehicle in case of accident or incident to use as evidense and i would highly recomend the use of this technology.”
by BRIMM
Monday, November 19 2012, 3:07PM
“Ian you are correct, the cycle v truck would not happen on a motorway junction as peddle bikes are not allowed on motorways!”
by M_C_Donald
Monday, November 19 2012, 1:51PM
“Ian,
I do agree that some roads are safer than others. The motorways are the safest roads in the country, but we still see horrific accidents on them and they nearly alway come down to driver error.
If you drive appropriately on any road it will be safe, so my argument is for changing driver behaviour.”
by Ian_Heighton
Monday, November 19 2012, 1:33PM
“Well if you don't agree that some roads are safer than others, then maybe you should join the Lincs Road Safety partnership that think that Speed is the sole cause of every accident with no other contributory factors.
I will carry on campaigning for better, safer roads however, as to me it's plain common sense that if drivers/cyclists/pedestrians are going to behave a certain way, then the roads they do it on can make a difference.”
by M_C_Donald
Monday, November 19 2012, 1:14PM
“Ian
I don't agree. There is the ideal world and there is the real world. it is not realist to expect every road to be dualled or junction to have a slip road.
No matter how 'safe' you build a road or junction you will still have drivers, cyclists, pedestrians etc making bad decisions and causing accidents.”