DEATH TOLL DOWN

Hot-off-the-press Brigg area road accident figures for 2009 show significant reductions in the number of deaths and incidents involving serious and less serious injuries to drivers/riders and passengers.
Provisional figures were released last night by Pete Scott, North Lincolnshire's head of safer roads, at Brigg's Angel Suite.
The top statistics: Not a single road accident fatality in our area last year, compared with three during 2008; last year saw 15 serious injuries, compared with 24 during 2008; slight injuries totalled 141, compared to 164 in 2008.
The powers-that-be use what is called the KSI rating (Killed and Seriously Injured) when reviewing road accidents, and the Brigg area's was 15 for 2009, compared with 27 the previous year.
Mr Scott, who lives locally, concluded: "This is good news for the Brigg area."
He described our district as having shown one of the best improvements in North Lincolnshire.
He reminded councillors present from Brigg and surrounding villages that they can hire those flashing signs (as seen on the approach to Wrawby) which show the speed of approaching vehicles. These are proving successful in getting drivers to kill their speed in problem areas.
Clearly there's never room for complacency over such an important thing as road safety, where lives are at risk. Let's all hope that, 12 months from now, Pete is able to report another year without any deaths on Brigg area roads. And that the number of injuries can be brought down even further.
Drive carefully, and safely!

Pictured above at the Angel Suite last night when the annual road safety figures were announced (left to right): Pete Scott, Brigg's Coun Tom Glossop, Insp Brett Rutty (head of policing in the rural area, including Brigg), Group Captain Paul Ryan (Humberside Police Authority administrator).

Footnote: The Brigg area quoted here refers to roads within North Lincolnshire - not including nearby parts of West Lindsey, which are over the border in Lincolnshire County Council's patch.