A drop in the number of road accident deaths in Essex has been aided by the air ambulances.

Official figures released this month show that 106 people died in road accidents in 1999 - but last year the figure was 86.

The overall number of casualties from road accidents has increased, however.

Nigel Webb, chief executive of the National Association of Air Ambulance Services (NAAAS) says, "Eighty-six deaths means that we have no reason to be complacent, but the reduction on the number of deaths while accidents continue to rise shows that a serious accident doesn't automatically mean fatality.

"The air ambulance is a vital part of the emergency medical care in the region and the work the service undertakes has contributed to the reduction in fatalities on Britain's roads.

"This is because air ambulances can fly over traffic congestion and quickly carry paramedics to the scene of an accident, delivering medical care and transporting the patient to hospital in the shortest possible time."

Lee Gillam of Essex air ambulance added: "Though there may be many factors leading to the fall in fatalities, we are in no doubt that the air ambulance's ability to provide rapid medical assistance at the scene of an accident as well as convey the injured to hospital comfortably and quickly has played a major part in this good news.

I hope that this will encourage people to support the Essex air ambulance as it is making a real difference in this region."

Andrew Howard, AA's head of road safety which supports NAAAS said: "The AA is constantly working towards improving road safety. Accidents are a tragic part of driving and it is encouraging that the Essex air ambulance has contributed to lives being saved."

Air ambulance fact file

It costs £720,000 a year to operate an air ambulance

Each helicopter flies an average of three missions a day

The cost of a day in intensive care equates to the cost of two flights of an air ambulance, approximately £1,000.

There are 18 air ambulances across the UK

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