Lincolnshire Road Safety Partnership reports serious and fatal crashes in county are lowest since 2015 but more still to be done

The number of people killed on the county’s roads last year was at the lowest since 2015 but highways chiefs say there is still work to do.

On Lincolnshire’s roads, 378 people were seriously injured last year and 48 lost their lives to crashes.

Steve Batchelor, Lincolnshire Road Safety Partnership senior manager, delivered an update to the county council’s highways scrutiny committee at a meeting.

He said: “It is the lowest figure since 2015 but still 48 people were killed which remains far too many and demonstrates work still needs to be done.”

Lincolnshire Police has released details of at least 12 fatal crashes on county roads so far this year, including three fatal crashes on the county’s roads on the day the meeting took place. A 40-year-old man also died on the A1 on Friday.

The majority of crashes occur on rural roads and casualties are four times as likely to be male.

The highest risk groups remain high powered two wheel motor vehicle riders, young drivers between 17 and 24, and mature road users aged over 60.

At the meeting, councillors called on the Lincolnshire Road Safety Partnership to do more to educate young drivers.

Coun Richard Wright (Con) said: “If you ask young people what’s the limit and what they can have to drink and drive they say these urban myths of what constitutes a safe level.

“It doesn’t seem to be robust.

“Young people don’t realise drug driving is as bad as drink driving.”

Coun Charlotte Vernon (Con) added that as children move into their teenage years they may not pay as much attention to being educated.

Mr Bachelor explained road safety lessons are given at schools, both primary and secondary, and colleges.

Lincolnshire Road Safety Partnership, formed in 2000, was the first of its kind in the country.

It works with the police and councils to collate highways data and find ways to make the roads safer.

It is also responsible for the community speedwatch scheme, which has seen an increase of volunteers in recent years.

Across Lincolnshire, there are 1,350 volunteers monitoring drivers and reporting them to the police if they exceed the speed limit.

Lincolnshire Road Safety Partnership also delivers National Driver Offender Retraining Scheme courses as an alternative to prosecution.

In 2023, more than 20,000 clients attended a course in the county.

There has also been an increase in submission to Operation Snap, the police’s dashcam portal.

Last year 2,182 people submitted footage with 652 offences processed and 583 prosecuted against.

The most common offences were driving without due care and attention, driving without reasonable consideration to other road users, going through red lights or overtaking on solid white lines.