A REDUCTION in the number of people being killed or seriously injured on Essex's roads has been put down to a number of road safety campaigns, safety cameras and community initiatives.

Elliot Furniss

A REDUCTION in the number of people being killed or seriously injured on Essex's roads has been put down to a number of road safety campaigns, safety cameras and community initiatives.

A decade ago 1,452 people were killed or seriously injured in road crashes in the county. Last year that figure had been cut by 387 - a reduction of nearly 30%.

The Essex Casualty Reduction Board (ECRB) has said that despite the reduction, it remains committed and determined to make the county's roads the safest in England and Wales.

The ECRB is a partnership of agencies including Essex Police, Essex County Council, Essex County Fire and Rescue Service, East of England Ambulance Service and the Highways Agency.

Road policing officers have been at the heart of a concerted ECRB campaign to educate motorists while also taking dangerous drivers off the roads.

Operation Calypso was re-launched at the start of 2008 to enhance the safety of the county's roads and since it started, officers have seized 165 vehicles being driven illegally and issued more than 4,000 fixed penalty notices for a variety of reasons, including seatbelt and mobile telephone offences.

Inspector Richard Phillibrown said he believed people needed to understand the role of a traffic officer before passing judgement on them.

He said: “They don't want to, but officers are trained to deliver bad news to people who have lost loved ones in collisions.

“It's a traumatic experience for them each time they have to knock on that front door and the other person know exactly what's coming when they the fluorescent jacket.

“Road policing officers know they can make a difference. They share the belief that road safety is a multi-agency responsibility and one in which communities and motorists also have a role to play.”

The introduction of speed indication devices and community speedwatch schemes for residents in villages and towns to use has also helped people appreciate the need to reduce their speed and an increasing number of communities are asking for help.

Insp Phillibrown added: “Neighbourhood policing officers are always being asked to do something about speeding at their Neighbourhood Action Panels.

“The response has been to give residents a role in educating drivers about reckless speeding.”