THE roads of Epping Forest remain the most dangerous in the county despite a significant drop in the number of deaths last year.

Latest figures show that 61 people died in fatal road collisions in Essex in 2009 compared to 73 the year before.

In Epping Forest, which has long suffered the worst road death statistics in the county, fatalities dropped from 14 in 2008 to nine last year. Of those nine deaths, four were on the M25 and one was on the M11.

The district still has the largest number of people killed on its roads in Essex, with Basildon and Colchester next worst with seven each.

A spokesman for Essex Police put the reduction in road deaths down to the force's greater emphasis on road safety awareness in the media.

He said: “One of the reasons was people heeding our road safety measures, and seeing the consequences of our campaign through the Epping Forest Guardian. We hope they continue to do so in 2010.”

Brian Eustace, 82, of Maple Springs, Waltham Abbey, who lost his wife Patricia to a road-crash with a drunk driver believes more still needs to be done to deter dangerous driving.

He said: “You need higher sentences. When you say two or three years that's what it should be, not 18 months. I can't see that they could do much other than that. High sentences, and they should ban them for life.”

His son Ray, 59, a former police officer, said: “I feel there should be more traffic police on the roads, but I think that's down to finance. They're relying too much on cameras and there's no-one there to tell people they're driving badly.”

Road Policing Inspector Cat Barrie said: "If we can encourage drivers to act in a more responsible manner then we may just see these figures fall in 2010. There are still far too many people who think that driving or riding are a way of getting a thrill, but it's a sad fact that these motorists and motorcyclists are a menace to themselves and other road users, and we will continue to take positive action against them.”

Latest casualty figures are not yet available for 2009. In 2008 the Epping Forest District had by far the worst Killed or Seriously Injured (KSI) figures in Essex.

In that year, 131 people were killed or seriously injured on the district's roads compared to 40 in nearby Harlow and 60 in Brentwood.