We must reduce the number of people killed or seriously injured on our roads
13.02.24 - Merseyside
We must reduce the number of people killed or seriously injured on our roads – that’s the message from Merseyside’s Police Commissioner as she acknowledges new figures which show an increase in deaths on our roads.
Emily Spurrell said: “These figures are hugely concerning. They are not just a number – each one is a precious life lost and a family on Merseyside which has been left devastated.
“More people are killed or seriously injured in our region because of road traffic collisions than any other type of crime and that is simply unacceptable.
“Improving safety on our roads is a priority in my Police and Crime Plan and, through Vision Zero, myself, our Metro Mayor, Steve Rotheram and all the partners who make up our region’s Road Safety Partnership set out our commitment to preventing deaths and serious injuries on our roads.
“The fact we’ve seen an increase in road deaths since the launch of Vision Zero strategy is deeply worrying. It’s the last thing any of us wanted our region to see and that’s why we must redouble our efforts to prevent these tragedies from taking place.
“There’s no doubt Merseyside Police has a critical role in this work – enforcement is essential. It goes on all year round, particularly focused on key issues including speeding, distracted driving, people failing to wear a seatbelt and people still taking drugs and driving. Operations are also focused on key times when we know incidents may increase, such as Op Limit which ran over the Christmas period targeting those who choose to get behind the wheel while under the influence.
“We have also invested in new technology, such as aerial cameras which are helping Merseyside Police to identify when offences have taken place at collision hotspots and bring the offending drivers to justice.
“This is all work which will be put under the spotlight at my next public Scrutiny Meeting in March, when I will hold the Chief Constable to account on the police’s efforts to improve the safety of our roads.
“But it’s important to recognise the police cannot make our roads safer on their own; it must be supported by the work of our partners who have a vital role to play in improving the safety of our roads through engineering and infrastructure and education.
“It’s also essential the public play their part too – if we are to make our roads safer, we must change driver behaviour, creating a culture of responsibility and awareness on our roads, so everyone can use them safely.
“Our goal must be to reduce the number of people killed or seriously injured on our roads. To do that, we need to look how we can do things differently, taking proactive steps to prevent collisions and increase the safety of all road users. Deaths and injuries are neither acceptable nor inevitable – they are preventable.”