FEWER people are dying on Gwent's roads, but drivers are still having as many accidents as ever, according to new road accident figures.

The latest figures from the National Statistics Office reveal that 30 people died on Gwent's roads in 1999.

The figure is one more than the previous year, but is part of a gradual decline since 1995, when the figure was in the forties.

The statistics show that of the 1,749 accidents on our roads, 58 per cent occurred at junctions and in areas with speed limits of 30 mph, although nearly two-thirds of fatal crashes were on roads with limits of 60 mph or more.

The figures reveal a number of alarming patterns, with the largest number of motorbike fatalities being men in their thirties.

Steve Baker, from RoSPA Wales, said: "This is happening as men who are earning a decent amount of money are going out and buying a superbike that is too powerful for them. We are seeing a lot more of this type of crash."

Penny Thorpe, the principal road safety officer for Gwent Consultancy, revealed that Gwent Police were taking a number of positive steps to tackle the problem.

"Police motorcycle officers, who are the best on the road, are meeting motorcyclists on Sunday afternoons in Abergavenny, where they all meet, and giving them free assessments of their riding."

In June police placed a wrecked motorcycle in a layby near Abergavenny, with signs warning bikers to slow down, to illustrate the dangers.

Ms Thorpe added that there were a number of key initiatives being carried out aiming to educate people about road safety, particularly children and cyclists.

She said: "The main drive at the moment is the government pledge to reduce the number of children killed on our roads by a third by 2010.

"We are going around schools carrying out road safety projects. But we have other schemes, like the 'Think' campaign. Nearly all collisions are drivers' fault, so we are trying to make sure they think about what they are doing."