Crash statistics confirm Fife roads are safer than ever

The 2017 figures for Fife, forwarded to the Scottish Government for publication later this year, show a significant reduction in the overall number of casualties and crashes compared to 2016.

However, with fatal crashes costing the region £2.05m each and serious accidents totalling £237,527, each based on government estimates, the financial cost to Fife still amounted to a staggering £33.3m in 2017.

Last year saw five fatalities on the region’s roads, a 50 per cent drop on 2016, marking a welcome continuing downward trend on the 2004 high when the region suffered 30 deaths.

Furthermore, the total number of reported crashes fell from 607 in 2016, to 421 last year – 82 of which were deemed serious – a big fall on the 2004 high of 1012 crashes.

The statistics were warmly welcomed by councillors at Fife Council’s environment, protective services and community safety committee this week.

Cllr Ross Vettraino, committee convenor said: “These are very welcome statistics indeed, especially as there are significant reductions in all of the catagories.

“Any fatality or serious injury on our roads is one too many, but to see significant falls in all areas makes is extremely encouraging.

“While there is no one single contributory factor, the council has made massive strides in road safety and traffic calming measures over the last 15 years and worked closely with our partners and organisations such as police Scotland to make Fife roads safer.”

And Cllr Vettraino had praise for motorists too.

“We must remember there are two sides to these figures and motorists play their part.

“The biggest contributory factor to accidents is speed and motorists driving too fast.

“The change in driver behaviour, as well as education has played a big part.”