The death toll on the county’s roads over the last decade has reached 320 after two young people were killed in fatal crashes in the last week.

Ipswich Star: Road deaths in Suffolk over the past ten years. Image: ARCHANT GRAPHICS UNITRoad deaths in Suffolk over the past ten years. Image: ARCHANT GRAPHICS UNIT (Image: Archant)

Police have spoken about the death rate in Suffolk after a man in his 20s died in a motorcycle accident on the A12 between Ipswich and Martlesham on Wednesday (June 21).

The collision, between two cars and the motorbike, happened on the southbound carriageway, just before the Brightwell Roundabout, which connects Foxhall Road with Newbourne Road.

The A12 death came just four days after Izzy Cottrell, from Boxford, was killed in a crash on the A1071 on the outskirts of Hadleigh on Saturday night.

She was a passenger in a Vauxhall Corsa which left the road and crashed into fencing near the Coram Street junction. The driver survived the incident.

Ipswich Star: Sergeant Barry Abbott, from Suffolk Police's road policing unit. Picture: SARAH LUCY BROWNSergeant Barry Abbott, from Suffolk Police's road policing unit. Picture: SARAH LUCY BROWN (Image: Archant)

Tributes have been paid to Izzy Cottrell following her death in the accident. Statistics show the death toll on the county’s roads has increased marginally over the past three years, with 95 fatalities in the three years from 2014 to 2016 compared with 78 in the previous three years (2011-2013).

Family pay tribute to motorcyclist Gavin Chandler from Tunstall who died following A12 crash at Foxhall

Sergeant Barry Abbott, from Suffolk Police’s roads policing and firearms operations unit, based in Bury St Edmunds, said the force focuses on education and enforcement to tackle the major issues surrounding road deaths.

He said: “We tend to focus on the ‘fatal four’ – speeding, drink and drug driving, using a mobile device behind the wheel and not wearing a seatbelt.

Ipswich Star: Police say education and enforcement is crucial to reducing the number of fatalities. Picture: OWEN HINESPolice say education and enforcement is crucial to reducing the number of fatalities. Picture: OWEN HINES

“Unfortunately, one or a combination of those actions are nearly always a factor in road traffic accident fatalities..

“In our role, we look to educate the public with road safety campaigns, drink and drug driving campaigns - particularly at times where the social aspect comes in to people’s lives a lot more like Christmas and during the summer.

“We also proactively get out on the roads to test people during those times and enforcement does also play a part.

“The message is getting out there more but it’s as much about changing people’s attitudes and behaviour as anything else.

“I always say that this can happen to you or me, everyday people who got in their cars or on their motorbikes and expected to see their loved ones at the end of the day.

“One death is too many and it’s crucial that the work to combat this continues.”