Fatal and serious injury collisions at record low
Vision Zero South WestThe number of people killed or seriously injured on Devon and Cornwall's roads has dropped to the lowest ever level in recent reporting history, according to new figures.
Provisional figures from the Department for Transport showed that, in 2025, 49 people were killed and 495 seriously injured in collisions across the two counties.
That was about 20% lower than the figure for 2024, with data also showing that collisions in the region have decreased every year since 2022.
The release of the figures arrives at the same time as the fifth anniversary of the Vision Zero South West road safety partnership, a collaboration between 17 organisations across the region.
Vision Zero has committed to reducing fatal and serious collisions by 50% by 2030.
Adrian Leisk, head of road safety at Devon and Cornwall Police, stressed the figures did not mark a turning point.
"This is not a celebration. There are still too many people being killed or seriously injured on our roads," he said.
Police have stepped up enforcement, including speed checks and action through Operation Snap, where drivers submit dashcam footage.
"Nearly 30,000 people have submitted footage and we have taken action in 17,000 cases," Leisk said.
He added that reducing speed remained key: "We cannot stop people making errors, but, by slowing everyone down, we reduce the severity of the injuries."
Camera schemes have been linked to sharp improvements.
On the A38 between Carkeel and Trerulefoot in Cornwall, there has been a 100% reduction in deaths and serious injuries in nine months.
"When we put camera schemes in, fewer people are getting seriously hurt," Leisk said.
Alison Hernandez, Police and Crime Commissioner for Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, and chair of Vision Zero South West, said: "Our collective efforts - as partners and communities - to ensure road users are at their best are starting to make a real difference to people's lives.
"While we are obviously delighted to see a significant decrease in the number of people being killed or seriously injured, there is still a lot of work to do.
"We must never forget what these numbers represent. These are real people killed in tragic and traumatic circumstances - loved ones and family members, parents and children, brothers, sisters and friends.
"This is why road safety has always been a personal priority since I took office in 2016 - and why I helped set up the Vision Zero South West partnership."
