By Craig Smith

POLICE have issued a stark road safety message to drivers in Fife following the tragic loss of three more young lives on the region’s roads.

Allistair Caird (21), from Auchtertool; James Rankin (21), from Cowdenbeath; and David Rodger (20), from Lochgelly, were killed in a crash on the B925 Kirkcaldy to Auchtertool road on Friday night—echoing other multiple fatalities in the region over the last few years.

Five separate fatal road crashes involving at least three victims in each have taken place since 2004, four of which can be attributed to excessive speed, with Friday’s crash still under investigation.

With 16 lives so needlessly lost in those particular incidents, Fife’s community safety partners yesterday reinforced their call to drivers and passengers to be wary of their safety at all times.

“The fact that we’re standing here talking about another incident of this magnitude in Fife causes great concern to me—it’s too easy to recall the last time there was incident like this involving young people,” said Fife Police Chief Constable Peter Wilson, speaking at the scene of the latest accident.

“Overall, accidents have continued to go down in Fife but this year we’ve had two triple fatalities and I think it is the volume issue that is causing particular concern.

“There is evidence that there are a number of people in their late teens or early 20s involved in these incidents and we have to be looking at the reasons why.

“The essence of what we are doing is about taking preventative measures but we have to work together with other organisations to promote adherence of the law.

“I think our visibility has a part to play—when people see our marked vehicles on the road they remember the law and realise they have a responsibility to it.

“But we can’t be everywhere all the time so that’s why education is vital—we use a variety of different mechanisms to try to get the road safety message out to a wider audience as much as we can.”

Although there have been five multiple fatal road crashes since 2004, the previous one took place in December 1998—a gap of just over five years.

In February 2004, three pedestrians—two of them children—all from Glenrothes, were killed when drink and drug-fuelled driver Dean Martin lost control of his car at high speed in the town’s Minto Place.

In September that year, three teenagers died when their red Fiat Punto left the A916 Kennoway to Craigrothie road and crashed into woodland.

That was followed by another shocking tragedy in January 2005 as four young people lost their lives when their car collided with another vehicle on the A92 Kirkcaldy to Dundee road.

And Friday’s accident will also evoke memories of just five months ago when three young men, all from Kennoway, died instantly when the silver Vauxhall Vectra they were in spun out of control on the Standing Stane road between Kirkcaldy and Leven and hit a tree.

Fife’s Community Safety Partnership is continuing its efforts to educate young people, particularly those who have just passed their test, about the consequences of getting involved in a crash.

The hard-hitting Safe Drive Stay Alive roadshow is just one of the resources used and has been making older school pupils across Fife aware of the dangers on the road.

But Bob Arnott, community safety group manager, stressed that young people themselves had to take responsibility for their actions—whether driver or passenger. He said, “We need to make young people aware of the risks involved—there are so many variables out there on the road and you don’t cover everything in the test.

“My message to young people who have just passed their test is to really take it easy on the roads, avoid distractions, think about your safety and your passengers’ safety as well. There are less accidents on the road but the age group we are looking at, from 17-25, is still the highest proportion of those killed or seriously injured.”

Mr Arnott concluded, “Our hearts go out to the family and friends of this latest accident—any fatal crash is a tragedy but particularly when you have three involved.”

No cause of Friday’s crash has yet been established but early indications suggest that Mr Caird’s Honda Civic may have clipped the kerb before veering off the road and into a tree.