By Isle of Wight Observer
Figures released by the Office of National Statistics last week showed a steep increase in the number of road fatalities on the Island last year.
In 2022 there were eight deaths on Island roads, compared to two in 2021 and four in 2020. It was the largest number of road deaths in the last decade, the next highest being five in 2015, and the lowest, just one, in 2019.
The fatalities were made up of one pedestrian, one cyclist, three motorcyclists, two car occupants and one person in a van.
The high number of fatalities makes Island roads statistically the least safe in England, with 18 deaths per billion vehicle miles.
The only higher figure in Great Britain is for the Orkneys who (with three deaths) scored 33 fatalities per billion miles. However, the total number of people killed or seriously injured on the Island in 2022 was 68, slightly below the ten-year average of 68.7.
Aside from the human costs of these tragedies, in 2020 it was calculated that each fatal accident resulted in costs of more than £1.9 million.
Chief Inspector Alex Charge, of Hampshire & Isle of Wight Police, said: “Driving standards on the Isle of Wight are a clear concern to the public, and we have invested a lot of resource in recent years to bolster our efforts to ensure drivers feel safe, and are safe, and to target motorists who put other road users at risk.
“In November 2022 we recruited two Roads Policing Unit officers who are a dedicated resource for the Isle of Wight, and whose specialist skills complement the pre-existing Roads Policing & Armed Response Vehicle team – our Isle of Wight specific unit made up of dual-skilled firearms and roads policing officers.
“Our officers work hard to react to any ongoing incidents on the road network, manage scenes and conduct roadside enquiries, in addition to conducting proactive education and enforcement work. They also undertake family liaison duties, providing specialist support to families who have lost loved ones in fatal collisions.”
Isle of Wight Observer