Region's road injuries and deaths down by third - police

BBC
·2 min read
Traffic collision scene at training centre
Firefighters at Liverpool's new £40m training site practise attending crash scenes [BBC]

The number of people killed or seriously injured on Merseyside's roads has fallen by more than a third since January, police said.

The figures come as Merseyside Police launched its campaign to reduce road traffic collisions, along with the fire service and Liverpool City council.

The campaign works schools and local communities to warn of the dangers of speeding, drink and drug driving and using mobile phones at the wheel.

In February, it was revealed the number of incidents on Merseyside where people were killed or seriously injured had risen by almost 100 in a year.

Durning Road, Liverpool
Durning Road is one of Liverpool's five accident hotspots [Google]

Andy Blythe, Station Manager at Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service said crews on Merseyside were "probably dealing with more road traffic collisions than fires".

Merseyside Police revealed five accident hotspots in Liverpool as Durning Road, Priory Road, Wavertree Boulevard, Brookfield Drive and Prescot Road.

"This is not only due to the amount of traffic on the road but also the amount of careless steps that can clearly be avoided," Mr Blythe said.

A Merseyside Police representative said officers had already increased visibility and enforcement activity and the force was working with Liverpool City Council to improve safety on accident hotspots.

They said this action had led to a 60% reduction at the five hotspot locations and a 36% reduction across the wider Liverpool area.

Firefighters training at the scene of a crash
Firefighters probably deal with more crashes than fires on Merseyside, station manager Andy Blythe says [BBC]

Ch Insp Steve Robinson said: “Unfortunately, we’ve seen the devastation caused to those who have lost loved ones and suffered lifelong injuries because of reckless driving on our roads.

Officers will target hotspot areas, with roadside checks, breathalysers and drug wipes, he said.

He said the force was "committed" to making roads in the region safer and was working to educate pedestrians, cyclists, and drivers as part of a strategy aimed at reducing collisions to zero by 2040.

Listen to the best of BBC Radio Merseyside on Sounds and follow BBC Merseyside on Facebook, X, and Instagram. You can also send story ideas to northwest.newsonline@bbc.co.uk

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