Councillors have raised concerns over the number of motorists killed on Buchan’s roads over the last 12 months.
Chief Inspector Elaine Logue told members of the Buchan area committee yesterday that although crime has decreased significantly in the area, the number of fatal accidents had risen to 28 across Aberdeenshire.
She told members a quarter of those crashes happened in Buchan – and vowed that her officers would continue to make road safety a top priority.
She said: “Seven people were killed in Buchan. That’s seven people too many and that’s something we are working on.
“The cause of fatal collisions isn’t always clear so it’s not easy to see how we could prevent them. Each one is a tragedy for all.
“Having reviewed all fatal and serious road incidents across the division and Buchan, the cause of many of those was unexplained.”
She added that her officers are targeting drivers who refuse to wear a seatbelt or those who use mobile phones while at the wheel.
Councillor Lenny Pirie said: “It’s very concerning about the amount of people killed or seriously injured on the roads.
“Everyday we see people on our roads on mobile phones – figure in the report seems low when we can all see it.”
Ch Insp Logue stressed that although nly four people were caught driving while using their phone in Buchan over the last 12 months, it was a focus for her officers.
Councillor Jim Ingram added: “Anything that helps reduce the number of fatalities in the area is certainly welcomed.”
Across Buchan, crime as decreased with the level of violence and theft in Peterhead and the surrounding countryside at its lowest for a decade.
Housebreaking in Peterhead fell by 40% from 168 in 2013 to 98 last year.
The annual performance report also showed that Buchan police had successfully cracked down on the supply of drugs in the north-east.
On Monday the Press and Journal reported that the number of drug offences has risen by nearly one third, and the number of people prosecuted for supplying illegal substances has rocketed by 60%.
Ch Insp Logue told members the rise did not mean more people are taking or supplying drugs, but that officers are dealing more damage to the drugs trade.