Norfolk's roads are set to benefit from a share in a new £8m Government grant, Road Safety Minister Jim Fitzpatrick announced today.

Norfolk County Council is one of four leading authorities to receive £1.5m from the Department for Transport to gather information about key problems facing drivers on their rural roads and develop innovative strategies to improve safety. The strategies will include a range of education, enforcement and engineering measures.

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An additional £2m will also be distributed between Norfolk and the three other participating authorities later in the three-year Rural Road Safety Demonstration Project.

"Norfolk County Council is a leading local authority for road safety and I look forward to the council working with the Department for Transport on this new project to improve road safety on its rural roads," Mr Fitzpatrick said.

"Deaths and serious injuries on Britain's roads are down by 33% since the mid-1990s but we know we must do more, in particular on rural roads. Norfolk now has the opportunity to introduce an innovative approach to tackle its rural road safety issues, and then share the good practice it establishes with other authorities around the country."

The other local authorities taking part in the project are Lincolnshire County Council, Devon County Council. Along with Norfolk, these are all Beacon Authorities for Road Safety.

(JM)