The police force said communities in West Dunbartonshire expressed concerns about road safety when the local L Division completed its annual community consultation.

The call comes as new figures reveal the number of fatal crashes in West Dunbartonshire and Argyll halved during 2014 when compared to the previous year. The number of people seriously injured in a collision also fell by 15 per cent.

Inspector Adam McKenzie, head of road policing for Argyll and West Dunbartonshire, revealed the figures last week but said more must be done.

“I am delighted to be able to report a significant drop in the number of people killed or seriously injured on the roads of Argyll and West Dunbartonshire,” he said. “However, one person killed or injured on our roads is one too many and our goal in the next year is to further reduce these unnecessary casualties.

“Our goal every day is to positively influence road users through education and increased patrols as well as targeting those who don’t adhere to road safety regulations.

“Over the last year we have increased our marked and unmarked patrols focusing on the main routes where crashes are most likely to happen. We also regularly set up static check points which focus on speed, vehicle defects as well as the targeting of criminals who use the roads network.” He added: “Not forgetting our biggest partner in road safety – the road users themselves – I would personally like to thank all those careful drivers, riders and pedestrians who have helped to make our roads safer for all.” A recent ‘driver attitudes and behaviour study’ has shown police activity has had a positive impact on the way people drive. The study showed fewer people were speeding and doing risky manoeuvres and were more aware of the penalties for speeding, mobile phone and seatbelt offences.

Chief Constable Sir Stephen House said: “More people are killed on our roads than are murdered each year — to me this is unacceptable.

“The impact on families and our communities is nothing less than devastating. “Yet as a society we can sometimes be immune to its impact which is why we need to look at our approach to ensure we cover every stage of life, from the very young to the elderly.