SUFFOLK: Police are today toasting figures which reveal the number of people killed on Suffolk’s roads halved last year.

Statistics from Suffolk Constabulary show road deaths plummeted from 42 in 2009 to just 20 last year – a 52 per cent drop.

The average number of deaths from collisions in the last five years is thirty-five.

In a further boost for traffic officers, the number of people killed or seriously injured (KSI) also fell – from 367 in 2009 to an estimated 300 last year.

It is the first time since 2007 that the number of those KSI fell.

Chief Inspector Ady Dawson, of Suffolk’s roads policing unit, said: “It is pleasing to see that these figures have dropped so significantly.

“We have been working with our partners and re-iterating our safe driving messages, which seem to have been taken on board by Suffolk’s motorists.

“It is also likely that the severe weather at the beginning and end of the year actually helped bring the figures down.

“Although we get lots of collisions when there is snow and ice about, they are often at low speeds and not serious.

“Therefore, while we would like to take this opportunity to praise the drivers on our roads for helping to keep them safe, we want to remind everyone not to become complacent.

“The fact remains that 20 people lost their lives on our roads last year and this figure will never be low enough until it is at zero.”

Guy McGregor, portfolio holder for roads, transport and planning at Suffolk County Council, said: “Road safety is the responsibility of all road users and as my portfolio covers road safety I am thrilled with the reductions of deaths and serious injuries on Suffolk’s roads.

“In the future, there will be less money available for road safety so we must all play our part in keeping driving standards up and the awareness that roads can be dangerous places, although all the agencies do their best to minimise the dangers.”

n What can be done to reduce deaths and serious injuries on the roads even further? Write to Your Letters, The Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich, IP4 1AN or send an e-mail to eveningstar letters@eveningstar.co.uk