Quickly exit this site by pressing the Escape key Leave this site
We use some essential cookies to make our website work. We’d like to set additional cookies so we can remember your preferences and understand how you use our site.
You can manage your preferences and cookie settings at any time by clicking on “Customise Cookies” below. For more information on how we use cookies, please see our Cookies notice.
Your cookie preferences have been saved. You can update your cookie settings at any time on the cookies page.
Your cookie preferences have been saved. You can update your cookie settings at any time on the cookies page.
Sorry, there was a technical problem. Please try again.
This site is a beta, which means it's a work in progress and we'll be adding more to it over the next few weeks. Your feedback helps us make things better, so please let us know what you think.
The number of killed and seriously injured (KSI) casualties on Northamptonshire roads in 2023 was the lowest since records began in 1960 but there’s no room for complacency as far too many people still didn’t arrive home safely.
Overall KSI figures for the county fell from 381 in 2022 to 271 last year, while there were five fewer fatalities with 29 people losing their lives after being involved in a road traffic collision in 2023, compared to 34 in the previous 12 months.
Despite this, road safety in Northamptonshire has improved significantly since the turn of the new century with the county’s multi-agency partnership, the Northamptonshire Safer Roads Alliance (NSRA), leading the charge.
Set up in 2018, the partnership between the Office of the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner Northamptonshire Police, Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue Service, National Highways, Kier Transportation|Highways, West Northamptonshire Council and North Northamptonshire Council.
It brings key partners together to work on various initiatives which aim to reduce KSI figures and improve road safety across the county through education, engagement, engineering, and enforcement.
NSRA chair, Northamptonshire Police’s Superintendent Jen Helm, said: “To see the number of people killed on our roads fall last year is very encouraging, and reflects the hard work of all the partners involved in keeping our county roads safe.
“However, every person who dies on our roads is one too many and we must not forget that behind each statistic there is a grieving family or someone who is coming to terms with a life-changing injury.
“We understand this and will continue to work together to ensure everyone who travels on our county’s roads gets home safely to their loved ones and those who chose to drive or ride illegally or irresponsibly are caught and brought to justice.
“Through education, engagement, engineering and enforcement, the Safer Roads Alliance will continue to run campaigns and operations to reinforce this message. However, we cannot do this on our own as it is only road users who can change their driving behaviour.
“Finally, we would like to thank the vast majority of road users who listen to these messages and use our roads legally and responsibly. However, to the small few who don’t, we will see you soon.”
Education
Over the past five years the alliance has worked tirelessly to reach as many road users as possible, with specific focus on those considered the most vulnerable – young drivers, mature drivers, those who drive for a living and motorcyclists/cyclists.
In 2023, it was another very busy year with all NSRA partners working together to deliver six different educational and engagement events and many workshops to all vulnerable road user groups.
This included 3,799 Year 12 students from 38 county secondary schools viewing the NSRA’s hard-hitting educational film My Pink Trainers. Based on a real incident, this takes the audience on a journey which explores the emotions of a group of teenage friends involved in a serious crash, the impact it has had on their lives and how it could happen to anyone.
More than 2,000 Year 13 students from 23 county secondary schools took part in the NSRA’s First Gear event, which highlights how easy it is for new drivers to lose their licence by looking at attitudes to driving, collision causations and strategies on how to stay safe in a car.
While a further 321 young people attended two CarKraft events held at Silverstone Porsche Experience Centre. The free road safety course provides the opportunity for those aged 17-30 to enhance their driving skills to help reduce the chances of them being involved in a road collision.
Engagement
In addition to young drivers, the NSRA helped primary schools tackle dangerous parking with the introduction of its parking buddies’ scheme, which aims to encourage parents to think about how and where they park.
As part of the scheme, schools are provided with children-shaped parking signs and roadside banners for a school term as well as a letter and e-flyer which they can send to parents as a reminder of their responsibilities and parking legislation.
Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue Service were also out and about at community events during the annual Brake Road Safety Week providing road safety advice, and the Wickes Safety Truck also visited various primary schools to deliver the same message.
PC Emilie Bunkall from Northamptonshire Police’s Roads Policing Team supported the annual RoadPeace Challenge by taking part in daily challenges – running, walking and cycling – along some of the county’s red routes, as well as organising a community road safety event.
Motorcyclists account for around one per cent of all road traffic in the county yet still make up a high proportion of those killed or seriously injured on our roads, representing 20.3 per cent of KSI casualties.
Although many of these are caused by other road users, the NSRA continues to work tirelessly to upskill riders and influence their mindset to ensure they are as safe and as responsible as they can be out on the roads.
Northamptonshire Fire & Rescue Service along with policing colleagues delivered four Biker Down, providing lifesaving training to 90 members of the biker community. While a further 150 participants took part in one of the 15 BikeSafe workshops, which aims to improve rider skills and safety.
Sadly, there is a growing trend of increased casualties among the county’s mature drivers and to try to address this the NSRA provided free Mature Driver roadshows. More than 300 drivers over the age of 60 attended one of three events in 2023.
The events were over-subscribed and provided practical advice by covering all distinct aspects of driving to help keep people driving safely for longer. Due to the success further events are planned for this year.
In addition to supporting national road safety campaigns such as Tyresafe, drink/drug driving and National Highway’s Operation Tramline, 75 people took part in one of the NSRA’s working drivers’ workshops, which focus on those driving HGVS and vans.
It was also another successful year for the Community Speed Watch programme, which saw more than 38 groups give up their spare time to complete 413 hours of enforcement. This resulted in 2,591 drivers receiving letters warning them about their speed.
Engineering
The Office of the Northamptonshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner also continued to support the community road safety grant scheme, which supported projects including school initiatives and speed warning signs, to the value of £86,000.
This scheme takes money received from those attending speed awareness workshops and uses it for the provision of grants for organisations to support road safety initiatives in their local communities.
Enforcement
Roads policing also has a critical role to play in reducing casualties, improving driver and rider behaviour as well as targeting and disrupting serious organised crime committed using the county’s road networks.
Increased arrests, a crackdown on traffic offences and a greater police presence are just some of the benefits resulting from the creation of a new Northamptonshire Police Roads Policing Team (RPT), which was set up in 2023.
The specialist team works alongside the Force’s Safer Roads Team and the NSRA to focus on the fatal five – not wearing a seatbelt, using a mobile device, being under the influence of drink or drugs, careless driving, and excess speed.
In 2023, there were 1,286 arrests for drink or drug driving while a total of 59,143 fixed penalty notices were issued for excessive speeding, 1,355 for not wearing a seatbelt, 485 for using a mobile phone at the wheel and 478 for driving without due care and attention offences.
Anyone with information about road safety concerns or any vehicle crime is asked to report it online at www.northants.police.uk/reportonline or call Northamptonshire police on 101. Alternatively, you can call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
Always call 999 in the event of an emergency, such as a crime in progress or where life is at risk.