There were fewer road casualties in Bolton last year, new figures show, as the total numbers fall across Britain – but Bolton police say the ‘work is far from done’.

Provisional figures from the Department for Transport suggest there were 403 road casualties in Bolton in 2023 – an eight per cent fall from 436 the year before.

It was also a decrease from 646 in 2017, which saw the most injuries in the last 10 years.

In Bolton, 105 people were seriously injured on the roads last year, seven of whom died.

In 2022, road accidents caused the death of more people in the area – nine.

A total of 1,645 road users were killed in crashes in 2023, a decline of four per cent from the 1,711 in 2022.

Inspector Nick Bonson from the Bolton Prevention Hub said: “Whilst it is positive news that the number of casualties in the area has fallen, our work is far from done.

“Ultimately, seven deaths on our roads in 2023 is sadly seven too many.

“We attend regular meetings alongside partners such as Bolton Council, Transport for Greater Manchester and other key stakeholders, to discuss data and information that is available to us, which in turn helps us plot our next steps.

“Operation Classify was launched in February 2024 in an attempt to target particular high-risk road routes in the area which has seen significant collisions over the past two years, with the aim of reducing death and serious injury on Bolton’s roads.

“We spent time on Moss Bank Way, Chorley New Road and Deane Road that needed our immediate attention. These roads are being patrolled on a regular basis.

“Myself and my officers will continue to support partners most notably with Greater Manchester Combined Authority’s Vision Zero strategy which is to eliminate road death and life-changing injury by 2040.

“We will also take decisive action against any road user that does not obey the law which put innocent lives at risk.”

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Nick Simmons, CEO of RoadPeace, the national charity for road crash victims, said the figures were “encouraging”, but traffic collisions still cause “unacceptable loss of life and extreme suffering”.

He said: “The ripple effect goes far beyond the statistics; it devastates families and shatters communities.

“We need to see collective action and commitment from everyone to deliver a significant reduction in road deaths and serious injuries and to create safer streets for all.”

Across Britain, a total of 132,063 road casualties were recorded in 2023 – down three per cent from the year before.

Most of these were in London, with 26,138, while the North East saw the fewest, with 4,018.

In the North West, 12,843 people were injured or killed.

Nicholas Lyes, director of policy and standards at IAM RoadSmart, said little progress has been made in reducing the number of deaths on the roads in 2023.

He said: “It is a stark reminder to all parties that an updated road safety plan as well as a national roads renewal programme must be a priority for whomever forms the next government.”

The RAC has pointed to a growing number of pedestrian fatalities and said it “should be a red flag to the Government signifying just how dangerous our roads still are”.

There were 407 pedestrians killed on Britain’s roads in 2023.

RAC head of policy Simon Williams said: “Any number of deaths on the road is too many, so we strongly encourage the new Government not to take these figures lightly and to make road safety a priority.

“We continue to believe the Government should reinstate road casualty reduction targets.”

The DfT said the Government’s THINK! Campaign aims to cut road deaths by changing attitudes and behaviours.

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