For the fourth year running Maidstone and surrounding areas have had the highest number of road accidents in Kent.

Early indicative figures released by the safety watchdog Safer Maidstone Partnership show that between July 2014 and June 2015 there were 709 crashes recorded on roads in the borough – a rise of 2.9% from 693 the previous year.

This is the second-highest increase in the county and well above average for Kent which has seen accidents reduce by 3.2% – a drop about 300.

The figures include minor collisions as well as those resulting in fatal and serious injuries.

They show all roads, including the M20, the M2 which crosses part of Boxley, and the A20 and A249.

A Kent County Council spokesman said: “Maidstone’s figures are typically higher because it is one of the largest populated districts in the county.

Because of this it will tend towards the top of the data. Our data, once checked with Kent Police, will be published in the summer.”

In 2013-14, Maidstone had 693 accidents. In 2012-13, there were 672, and 622 in 2011-2012.

Information released by Kent County Council in August shows the majority of accidents involve car drivers, passengers and motorcyclists.

The County Town has a disproportionately high number of people between 17 and 22 involved in accidents.

Such is the growing concern about the problem, Safer Maidstone Partnership has made the issue one of its top priorities.

Other issues included in the organisation’s strategic report are drug abuse, violent crime and anti-social behaviour, which fell by 1.9% from 3,679 incidents in 2013-14 to 3,608 reported cases last year.

KCC has also launched a campaign to reduce road traffic accidents – particularly among younger drivers.

Areas in Kent were ranked according to the number of collisions and accidents and shows Maidstone had the most in the county over four years.

Indicative figures for 2015 show there were 709 crashes in Maidstone (including motorways and the A-roads).

The next nearest was Dartford, with 631, followed by Swale with 564 collisions and these areas remain in the top three for the four years.

Wards with highest incidents were Boxley and North Downs and Maidstone’s High Street ward, while those with the lowest recorded cases were Loose, Downswood and Otham and Allington.

Maidstone has the third-highest rate of killed or seriously injured casualties in Kent with 57 in 2014-15 behind Sevenoaks and Swale. This had dropped since 2013 when it reached a high of 73.