Nottinghamshire wants 40% road casualty reduction

Deaths and injuries on roads in Nottinghamshire should be cut by more than a third, officials have said.

Official figures show there were 453 road casualties in the county in 2011 - nearly one in ten of those being children.

The county council has set a target of reducing that number by 40% by 2020.

The authority said it would use a number of methods including cameras and crossings but educating people to use roads responsibly was key.

'Changing attitudes'

Between 2000 and 2010, the number of serious road casualties in Nottinghamshire was reduced by 46%, from 826 to 446.

But Richard Jackson, chairman of the Transport and Highways Committee, said the council was not satisfied with that.

"There are a number of factors which contribute to the figures, so there are a number of things we can do to reduce it," he said.

"Whether it is physical measures on the road like the crossings or whether it is education - so we are involved in school educating youngsters before they ever get behind the wheel or on to motorbikes.

"But it is about changing attitudes as well, there are still too many people persistently speeding, still too many persistently drink driving, believe it or not".

The A614, which has a poor safety record, has recently had a 50 mph limit placed on it, enforced by average speed cameras, he said.