A PILOT project, costing about £14 million, is set to slash the number of accidents on roads in a northern county if funding gets the all clear. And with company car drivers named as among the fastest drivers and involved in the most accidents, they are to be high on the list targeted by the campaign.

Lancashire Police is joining forces with the county council to launch the 'Victoria Project'. Meetings are already taking place with the Home Office to discuss the campaign, which not only targets driver speed, but a spectrum of other details, from driving attitude to vehicle maintenance.

To reduce driver speeds there will be intensive policing, complemented with hard-hitting television adverts. The project was first carried out in Victoria, Australia and resulted in speeding in 30mph areas dropping from 75% to just 3% within three years.