Progress towards casualty reduction targets in Fife

During 2016 there were 451 recorded road crashes in Fife, resulting in 607 casualties (10 fatal, 87 serious and 510 slight injuries). Although the numbers of serious and slight injuries were higher than recorded in 2015 (12 fatal, 72 serious and 480 slight injuries), the number of fatal casualties decreased and all categories show a strong reduction when looking at the long term trend.

In 2009 the Scottish Government set road casualty reduction targets for all Scottish local authority areas to meet by 2020. These targets are based on reducing those killed, seriously and slightly injured, with specific reduction targets for child injuries. Fife has seen a significant reduction in casualties over recent years and aims to continue this trend to achieve, or surpass, the Scottish casualty reduction targets.

The Committee also considered the activities that have been taking place to reduce casualties and work towards the targets with fewer people killed or seriously injured on our roads. The activities to promote safer behaviour by road users include awareness campaigns and intelligence led enforcement activity.

Cllr Margaret Kennnedy, chairman of the Safer Communities Committee said 20mph zones and education measures such as Safe Drive Stay Alive were helping to reduce casualties: “That Fife is on course to meet our casualty reduction targets for 2020 is good news,” she said.

“It’s clear the numbers will not reduce in a straight line every year but we are seeing a longer term trend of reducing casualties. Through close partnership working on road safety initiatives, we’re ensuring Fife’s roads are as safe as possible.”

She added: “Through Engineering solutions such as 20mph zones, Education measures such as Safe Drive Stay Alive and Pass Plus and Enforcement action from the Police, we have an effective framework of initiatives to reduce casualties.

“But there is no room for complacency and, as the slight increase in some figures for 2016 shows, we’ll need to continue to strive to reduce casualties on Fife’s roads.”