ROAD deaths in Essex have risen 30 per cent.

Essex police and crime commissioner Nick Alston has put road safety at the top of the agenda for Essex Police as he tries to reduce the almost two people killed or seriously injured on roads in Essex every day.

The police and crime panel accepted his policing plan which includes measures to cut the 700 crashes a year which leave people with life changing injuries or worse.

Mr Alston said: “The number is going down but it is stiil too high.

“The number of deaths have gone up 30 per cent in the last year.”

48 people died on the roads in 2012.

Experienced traffic officers warned the numbers killed would increase because they claim they are busy responding to other crimes rather than concentrating on the roads and because there are less of them.

However Essex Police defended its record and pointed to the numbers of serious incidents falling in Essex against the increased trend elsewhere.

Whatever changes have been made Mr Alston believes the situation now is unacceptable.