The number of people killed on Rutland's roads has doubled.

Four accidents happened in 2022 in which seven people were killed – six car passengers and a cyclist, compared to three accidents in 2021 where three people died.

This is according to a report by the Department for Transport which looks at road accidents over the last 10 years up to 2022.

There were two fatal accidents in 2020, although this could be down to less traffic on the roads because of covid.

The highest year for fatal road collisions in Rutland was 2015, when eight were reported with eight people killed. The only year in the last 10 when no fatal road collisions were reported was 2017.

While Rutland remains one of the safest places in the United Kingdom for road users, Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland Police in cooperation with the road safety partnership have introduced new, high-tech, speed prevention vehicles.

Jonathan Clarkson, from the road safety partnership, said: "The partnership is here to deal with the four elements that cause death on our roads: speeding, not wearing a seatbelt, drink and drug driving, and using a mobile phone or hand-held device. But inappropriate speed remains the leading cause of road traffic accidents contributing to 11% of all injury collisions reported to the police, and 24% of all fatal collisions."

Speeding in Rutland is also being tackled by the Council. Image credit: Nub News.

Rutland County Council announced plans for an additional 69 upgraded 'SID's – Speed Indication Devices – right across Rutland, costing an extra £80,100 on top of the £350,000 they were originally costed at. However, these SID's will replace the existing ones in Rutland, and offer clearer messaging with the additional facility of speed data logging equipment contained within them.

Rutland's MP also called for more speed cameras on the 'Rutland TT' earlier this year, which has been supported by Leicestershire County Council.

Read what they had to say here.

However, the overall picture for Great Britain makes grim reading with 29,742 people killed or seriously injured on the roads in the last year.

Rebecca Guy, road safety manager for England at the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents, said: "That is the equivalent of 1,000 coaches full of people, or 81 people per day, every day of the year. RoSPA is deeply concerned that despite car manufacturers making significant efforts to improve vehicle safety, lack of Government strategy and funding means the number of people killed on our roads has reduced by just two per cent since 2012.

"While car occupants accounted for most road casualties in 2022, the highest casualty rates per billion miles travelled were for motorcyclists, indicating that a person is more likely to be injured on the road when travelling by motorcycle. The distinct lack of progress in publishing a road safety strategy since 2019 is deeply concerning, and we urge the Government to publish a clear, evidence-based road safety strategy, before more people are killed on the roads."