THE number of people who die each year in crashes on Devon and Cornwall’s roads has stayed the same, the latest Department for Transport statistics show.

Forty-eight people were killed in traffic collisions in the two counties in 2023, the same as in 2022 and 2021.

In 2020, there were 44 fatalities, and 48 again in 2019. In 2018, as many as 59 collisions proved fatal.

The number of serious injuries in crashes in Devon and Cornwall went down to 702 in 2023 from 737 in 2022 and has fallen from 770 recorded in 2018.

Police and Crime Commissioner Alison Hernandez is chair of the “Vision Zero South West” road safety partnership, which has committed to reducing deaths and serious injuries by 50 per cent by 2030.

She said: “It’s vital to remember that these aren’t just numbers – these are people’s loved ones and family members, parents, children, brothers, sisters, friends.

“Each one of these fatal and serious collisions has a devastating impact on those involved and the wider community and we will continue to work hard to reduce the number of people harmed and affected on our roads.

“While I am encouraged to see an overall reduction, there is clearly still much to be done by us all to achieve our goal of eradicating death and serious injury on Devon and Cornwall’s roads.

“This target is incredibly ambitious and simply cannot be achieved without collaboration, innovation and working together with communities.”

You can see the statistics on the Department for Transport website: gov.uk/government/collections/road-accidents-and-safety-statistics.