PEOPLE being killed or seriously injured on Lancashire’s roads is at its lowest in 30 years.

Despite high profile incidents including the hit and run death of Freda Holt and Thursday’s double fatal smash in Marsden Road, Burnley, which killed Accrington teenagers Kasier Hussain and Sajad Khan, figures have fallen.

Lancashire Police was told to improve its road safety figures by a recent HMIC report.

And during 2010, 798 people were killed or seriously injured - compared to 852 in 2009.

There has been a year-on-year decrease since 2006.

Superintendent Peter O’Dwyer said: “Let’s be clear – one person killed or seriously injured on our roads is one too many. We are not complacent and are working hard to reduce this figure even further.

“These figures do however highlight a significant improvement and suggest that the county’s roads are now the safest they have been in years.”

The force regularly runs Operation Pathway, which sees high profile action days to support the daily road policing activity, and is aimed at saving lives and protecting people on the county’s roads.

Coun Dave Harling, executive member for regeneration at Blackburn with Darwen Council, said: “With the police and our partners Capita Symonds we've identified problem areas in the borough and the causes of accidents at those locations. We have then put a lot of work into road safety education in schools, community safety schemes such as mosque marshalling and young driver courses and engineering changes to the highway. I'm delighted to see this is paying off with such big reductions in the number of casualties in the borough."

County Councillor Tim Ashton, cabinet member for highways and transport, said: "A whole range of activities have contributed towards the reduction in casualties, from education, to safety schemes on the highways. Last year, for example, around 26,000 school children were trained in pedestrian and cycling safety.

"Following the trials of residential 20mph speed limits in three areas of the county, we'll also be introducing them to all residential roads and outside schools over the next three years.”