BROMLEY'S roads are among the safest in London, according to figures which show serious accidents have halved.

The borough is one of only three out of 33 in London to have met government targets for accident reduction nine years early.

The number of deaths and serious injuries have been cut by 39 per cent to 1,172, beating the target of 1,415 a year, which should have been met by 2010.

Officers believe the main reason for the success is the efforts made to promote safety to younger drivers, as 16 to 24-year-olds make up 10 per cent of the national driving population, but 25 per cent of the casualties.

Bromley's road safety officers have run traffic education classes in schools where sixth-formers are given accident and inquest reports and encouraged to discuss why accidents happen.

Road safety unit head John Walton says efforts to decrease accidents will continue. He said: "Inexperienced drivers are less able to assess risks and recognise hazards. This can lead to over-confidence and they are more likely to take risks.

"Another issue is peer pressure. Having their mates in the car can lead some to show off and take risks."

"Our aim is to educate and demonstrate the real dangers of driving to people as soon as they start to drive or even before."

November 26, 2001 18:20