CRASHES on Fife’s roads where someone was injured fell to a record low last year, according to new figures which will be reported to Fife Council’s safer communities committee next week.

Fife’s Community Safety partners are continuing to work hard to help improve road safety in Fife and good progress is being made towards the 2015 and 2020 Scottish casualty reduction targets.

Statistics show last year: 421 recorded crashes, down from 448 the previous year.

550 people were injured, including 11 people who tragically lost their lives.

85 people received serious injuries – again the lowest ever recorded number, down from 100 the previous year.

The number of children injured also fell to a record low of 50.

The committee will hear next week that in 2009, the Scottish Government set targets for casualty reduction which all Scottish local authority areas were expected to reach by 2020, with an interim target for 2015.

These targets are based on reducing those killed and seriously injured and reducing the number of children involved, together with reducing the number of slight injuries.

In 2013, Fife has already met 2020 targets in several areas and if recent trends continue, is on track to maintain this progress.

Dr Bob McLellan, head of transportation and environmental services, said, “It’s great to be able to report these encouraging results to committee next week.

“They reflect the hard work that is being done by all of the Community Safety partners to reduce the number of casualties on the roads of Fife.

“Through engineering solutions such as 20mph zones,education measures such as Safe Drive Stay Alive and Pass Plus and enforcement action from the Police and Fife Camera Safety Partnership, we are putting in place an effective framework of initiatives that is clearly working.” Chair of the safer communities committee, Councillor Kenny Selbie, added, “I’m sure members of the committee will be delighted to hear Fife had its lowest ever number of crashes last year.

“There is a tremendous focus being placed on road safety by adopting a multi-agency approach working in close partnership on a number of parallel road safety initiatives to ensure the roads in Fife are as safe as possible for all users.

“However, even with significant progress being made in reducing crashes and casualties on our road network there is no room for complacency, and we will continue to seek to reduce casualty rates still further.”