A SERIES of road safety initiatives look set to be introduced in a desperate bid to cut the number of fatalities in Suffolk after the 12th victim was killed this year.

ONE person has been taken to hospital today following a three-vehicle crash on the A140.

The accident, which left the road completely blocked for a period of time, happened about half a mile south of Mendlesham, at around 6.40am today.

The crash on the notorious road involved a Ford Fiesta car, a Renault van and a Volkswagen van which all collided.

Originally the road was totally blocked but one of the vans was moved out of the way quickly so traffic could begin flowing again.

However motorists on the road still faced heavy delays, particularly in the Norwich-bound direction. Police officers and paramedics attended the scene and one person was taken to Ipswich Hospital. It is not known how serious their injuries were, but it was not thought that they were life-threatening.

The accident happened as the county council prepared to unveil a series of road safety initiatives look set to be introduced in a desperate bid to cut the number of fatalities in Suffolk after the 12th victim was killed this year.

The latest victim, an elderly cyclist who was fatally injured after a collision with a skip lorry at Darsham on Friday, has still not been identified by police.

Since the start of the year, five drivers or passengers in cars have died, three pedestrians and four cyclists or bikers have lost their lives.

Friday's fatality came just days before Suffolk County Council will move to introduce a number of new measures to improve road safety.

The list of 16 key improvements include more work with mobile speed cameras, new warning signs at accident black spots, and quicker action after spates of accidents at the same location.

A report to be considered by councillors on April 17 suggests that despite a high figure in 2003, when there were a number of multiple victim accidents, there has been a gradual but clear downward trend in the number of people killed or seriously injured on Suffolk's roads.

In both 2006 and 2007 “milestone” targets for reducing fatal and serious injury accidents were achieved. The targets were 369 and 346 respectively and actual victims numbered 359 and 301.

Child casualties have significantly dropped. The 23 killed or seriously injured in Suffolk in 2005 was the lowest ever and while 25 were killed or injured in the county in 2007 this is well ahead of the target, which was to reduce annual casualties among youngsters to 25 a year by 2010.