116 people killed or seriously injured on Lincolnshire's roads between April and June this year

Lincolnshire Road Safety Partnership said that 116 people had been killed or seriously injured on the county’s roads within this three-month period.

This is an increase from the first quarter of the year where 83 people were killed or seriously injured between January and March.

Steve Batchelor, senior manager at the Lincolnshire Road Safety Partnership, said: “There are always slight fluctuations in the number of people who are killed or seriously injured when we look at any small time frame.

“I’d like to offer a degree of reassurance that so far this year we’ve seen quite a significant drop in the number of fatalities on the roads.

“Equally, the number of people killed or seriously injured on the rolling 12-month average, is also showing a slight decline.”

At a highways and transport scrutiny committee meeting on Monday, December 8, the road safety partnership said that the figures have remained broadly similar across the last year overall – with 112 people killed or seriously injured on Lincolnshire’s roads between October and December of 2024.

Between June and September of 2024, 109 people were killed or seriously injured on Lincolnshire’s roads, according to the road safety partnership.

Coun Charlotte Vernon (Conservative – Colsterworth Rural division) said: “I’m really very sorry to see that there has been an increase and we must remember the impact of this.

“Every single one of those people who has been killed or seriously injured has a family and friends.

“I think it’s right that there aren’t specific targets for this because we are talking about people and their lives which will be changed forever, or significantly affected.”

Coun Christopher Reeve (Reform UK), who represents the Scotter Rural division, said: “I do find it quite bizarre that year-on-year it’s a similar number of people that die on the highways.”

Coun Reeve went on to question whether factors such as “human nature” or the “road design” explained the number of incidents.

Mr Batchelor said: “I think the phrase ‘human nature’ is apt. Of course, with human beings in control of the vehicles, mistakes will be made.”

He said the county is looking at wider trends across the UK and continent when it comes to road safety, adding: “We will not accept that it’s inevitable, that there are things that you can do to make it better and prevent those things from happening in the first place.”

Coun Kevin Clarke (Labour) questioned whether parents should be involved in road safety education.

Mr Batchelor said: “We do work through the Stay Safe Partnership and so we get into a lot of primary and secondary schools.

“In addition, our road officer team delivered (advice) to just over 20,000 pupils across primary and secondary schools last year.”

Where they have fatal or serious injuries that involve pupils, he said they will get in contact with the school proactively.

“We will ask if they have any issues or concerns that they particularly need help with but we will also offer to come in and do extra lessons with them so that they work with pupils and head off any problems that might be occurring as early as possible.”