By Craig Smith

FIFE COUNCILLORS should have been heralding the lowest ever level of road casualties on the kingdom’s roads yesterday—but the news was completely eclipsed by the tragic outcome of Tuesday night’s fatal crash.

Figures presented to the region’s community safety committee meeting in Glenrothes showed a fall in casualties from 927 in 2005 to 910 last year—the smallest ever total to be recorded in Fife.

But even though the statistics represent further road safety progress by the council and its partners, the revelation that three young men had died following an accident on the A915 road between Kirkcaldy and Leven the previous day was foremost in everyone’s minds.

Councillor Andrew Keddie, who chairs the community safety committee, reminded fellow councillors that there was always room for improvement in the wake of such an appalling tragedy.

“The sad loss of three people on the A915 Standing Stane road on Tuesday night, as well as a young woman in Dunfermline at the start of this month is a sobering reminder of the very tragic human story behind these statistics,” he said.

“Our thoughts are with their families at this terrible time.”

Although Fife recorded a second successive fall in overall road casualties last year, the number of people killed or seriously injured in 2006 actually rose on the 2005 level.

A total of 210 people were killed or seriously injured on the region’s roads last year compared to 187 in 2005, a rise of 23.

And although child casualties fell below the 100 mark for the first time in 2006, the number of children killed or seriously injured also went up, from 23 in 2005 to 29 in 2006.

Ninety-four children were killed or hurt on Fife’s roads in total last year, a 23% drop from the previous record low achieved in 2005 of 121.

While welcoming the overall casualty figures, Mr Keddie said the increases in those killed or seriously injured should serve as a warning against complacency.

“The figures do show an improvement which is a step in the right direction and the efforts and contributions from Fife’s road safety partners are to be applauded,” he said.

“Record lows are being achieved and this is a great accomplishment.

“A lot of effort is going into educating our young people.

“But,” Mr Keddie added, “the fact that we have seen rises in the number of people killed or seriously injured just goes to show there is always more to be done and improvements to be made.”