The number of lives lost on Essex roads rose by more than a quarter from 2002 to 2003.

Although the official results are still being compiled, early figures for crash deaths in Essex last year show a big rise compared with the year before.

According to the preliminary figures, there were 116 road deaths in 2003, which is 24 more than the previous year.

That works out as a rise of more than a quarter from 2002 to 2003.

In total last year, there were 107 crashes in which one or more people died, compared with 85 in 2002 a rise of 22 crashes.

The preliminary figures do, however, show a drop in fatalities from 2001 to 2003, when there were 123 deaths in 113 crashes.

The fatality figures for the Stanway and Tendring area was 19 in 2002 and 21 in 2003.

Published Friday January 2, 2004

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