A Government minister has described the death toll on Kent’s rural roads as a “horrendous level of carnage”.
Kent Police figures show that 74 people were killed on rural roads in the county last year - more than a third of the total for the whole of the South East.
Figures for the last five years show the death toll has remained more or less the same.
Speaking exclusively to Kent on Sunday, road safety minister Jim Fitzpatrick said he was “very worried” by the death toll.
He said: “It is a dreadful figure. We can’t allow this carnage to go on.
“We need to get the message out that you are three times more likely to die on rural roads.
“What we can say is we are extremely exercised by the numbers of people killed. We have set ourselves challenging targets.
“Driving can be a joy, but it also carries very serious responsibilities.”
Mr Fitzpatrick insisted the Government was “putting its money where its mouth is”.
He added: “This year we have introduced the Road Safety Grant, which is around £110 million.
“For Kent and Medway Safety Camera Partnership that is just under £3.5m, £3.1m for Kent and £382,000 for Medway. That is a specific increase on speed camera revenue.”
However, Ian Taylor, south east Kent spokesman for the Association of British Drivers, said: “There was a time, right up until the early 1990s, when there was a year on year reduction in the number of people killed on our roads since it peaked in the 1960s.
“In the 1990s it started to flatline, which coincided with reductions in the number of traffic police officers.
“They then put all their road safety eggs in one basket, relying on automated justice – things like speed cameras. To give more money to the safety camera partnership seems to be defeating the purpose somewhat.”
Lorna Jackson, spokeswoman for road safety campaign group Brake, said: “There should be clearer speed restrictions and warning signs on these unpredictable roads, with firm enforcement and tougher penalties.”
POSTED: 07/10/2007 04:30:00
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