THE number of fatal or serious car crashes went up by nearly 20 percent in Somerset last year.  

According to figures from the Department for Transport (DfT), there were 209 fatal or serious collisions (FSCs) in Somerset in 2023, up from 175 in 2022.  

There were 23 fatal crashes last year, up from 20 the year before. Overall crashes also went up, from 739 in 2022 to 791 in 2023, an increase of 7 percent. 

FSCs have increased markedly since 2020, when traffic levels were low due to the pandemic.  

That year, there were 112 FSCs in the county, which went up to 177 in 2021.  

However, the figures remain lower than every year leading up to the pandemic.  

Between 2014 and 2019 there was an average of 218 FSCs in Somerset every year. 

The figures come at the beginning of Road Safety Week, which aims to raise awareness of "the devastating toll of road crashes and celebrate the work of the incredible people who support families after a road death or serious injury”. 

The campaign, led by road safety charity Brake, lasts from 17 to 23 November. 

According to Brake, more than 1700 people die on UK roads every year, and another 30,000 receive serious, life-changing injuries. 

Ross Moorlock, Chief Executive at Brake, said: “Road casualties are not just statistics. Behind every number is a grief-stricken family whose lives have been changed forever in an instant. 

“The demand on our service continues to grow as road deaths and injuries show no sign of reducing. Every year, more families suffer the devastating impact of a road crash. Every year, more and more families come to us in their darkest and most difficult times.”