The number of casualties caused by collisions on Hertfordshire’s roads has hit its lowest level in a decade, according to figures released by the government.

The data, published by the Department for Transport, details all reported road accidents in Great Britain over an entire year.

For Herts, there were 2,882 casualties in 2018, a marked decrease from the 4,384 recorded incidents in 2008. In 2018, the number of fatalities was 26 compared with 33 in 2008.

Careless or reckless driving (317), failing to look properly (722) and failing to judge another driver's path or speed (380) were among the most commonly reported causes of road traffic collisions in Herts in 2018.

But, despite numbers falling across the board in our county, the number of casualties on Hertfordshire's roads (2,882) was the seventh highest in 2018 out of the 154 local authorities in England measured in the report.

Mark Turner is the chief executive of Road Victims Trust, a charity that works with families who have been affected by fatal road collisions in Herts, Cambs and Beds.

He says his team deal with fewer and fewer fatalities in Hertfordshire each year.

In 2019, there have been 25 cases so far - but Mark admits "that is 25 too many".

He said: "There's always more that could be done - more enforcement or education. I would say to drivers slow down, think of the consequences and don't ever pick up your phone.

"People are not always driving correctly, but Herts sees more road users than other counties and I think there is a great deal of work being done."

The Hertfordshire Road Safety Partnership - which includes Herts Highways, the Police and Crime Commissioner, Herts police and the county's fire and rescue service - works to reduce deaths and injuries on our roads.

A spokesperson for the Herts Road Safety Partnership said: "These reductions should be viewed in the context of rising traffic levels for Hertfordshire which grew by 4.3 per cent between 2015 and 2018.

"While figures are pleasing in that they show substantial reductions, each statistic represents individuals, families, friends and communities seriously affected.

"Herts Road Safety Partnership remain absolutely committed to delivering coordinated activities to reduce casualties even further towards an ultimate vision of zero road deaths and injuries."