THE number of fatal crashes on Cambridgeshire’s roads almost doubled last year.

During the year 42 people were killed compared to 23 deaths in 2009.

PC Tony Barrios, casualty reduction officer with Cambridgeshire Police, said: “It is always sad when the number of fatal collisions increases, however, the 2009 figures were extremely low and we were unlikely to be able to sustain them.

“Thankfully despite last year’s rise, fatal collisions, fatal collisions viewed long-term are the lowest they’ve been for the past 14 years.

“It’s important that we review every serious and fatal collision to understand the causes and how we can reduce the figure.”

Over the next year officers will be holding a number of targeted campaigns to reduce casualties including, drink drive campaigns. seatbelt enforcement weeks and operations to target motorists breaking the law.

Police figures for fatal collisions show that the number of fatal crashes in 2009 was low compared with the previous year, 60, and deaths in 2007, 86.

The majority of the force’s road safety work and enforcement is done in conjunction with the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Road Safety Partnership.

County cllr Mac McGuire, member for Highways and Access, said: Every single death on the roads is a tragedy and we and the other agencies across Cambridgeshire are doing everything we can to reduce the number of accidents on our roads and to cut the number of people killed and injured as a result.”