Message to drivers as first part of 2024 brings more than double the number of fatal collisions on same period in 2023

At the end of last month, over the course of one afternoon and the following morning, Lincolnshire Police reported three separate losses of life on the county’s roads.

All the collisions took place on April 29 – one near Gunby, one on the outskirts of Boston, and one at Swineshead Bridge.

Since then, the force has reported two more fatal collisions in the county.

In light of these incidents, Lincolnshire World approached the Lincolnshire Road Safety Partnership for its perspective on them, asking if they could place them into context, whether this was an unusual occurrence, and if there was any message that should be shared with the public.

The partnership revealed that as of May 14, there had been 23 fatalities from 20 collisions in Lincolnshire during 2024.

This compared to 11 fatalities from 10 collisions in 2023, and 15 fatalities from 15 collisions in 2022 (again up until May 14 in both cases).

A spokesman for the partnership said: “2024 has seen a sad start to the year with a higher than average number of fatal collisions so far. The number of individuals killed and seriously injured on Lincolnshire’s roads, whilst continuing to reduce from historically high figures, still constitutes a great deal of grief and upset to far too many people.

“History tells us that the summer months tend to account for a higher number of fatal collisions and we would therefore encourage all road users to think carefully about how they are driving and ensure that they, and their vehicles, are both fit and ready to use the roads. Being refreshed before driving, avoiding distractions and remaining alert, having a bit of patience with others and allowing plenty of time for your journey will help reduce your chances of being involved in a serious collision.”

In terms of the three collisions that took place on the same day, the spokesman added: “Whilst recent collisions remain under investigation, the three that took place on the same day at the end of April were all very different in their circumstances and no conclusions should be drawn from one day in particular. The Lincolnshire Road Safety Partnership continues to work with its partners to understand what the causes are of collisions on our roads, explore what safety improvements can be made, deliver educational and training programmes to improve road safety and attending events to promote road safety and awareness.”