Brake, the road safety charity, has called upon the Scottish Government to take steps to reverse an increase in the number of deaths on Scotland’s roads.
The latest statistics from Transport Scotland have revealed that 200 people were killed in 2014, which is an increase of 16% over 2013.There was also a 1% increase in the number of serious injuries. The most vulnerable road users bore the brunt of the increase, with 18 more pedestrians killed than in 2013.
The increase in Scottish road casualties reflects a worrying trend across the UK, says Brake. Statistics for the year ending September 2014, released in February this year, showed a 4% increase in deaths and serious injuries for Great Britain as a while.
“The statistics from Scotland reaffirm the grim fact that became apparent in February – road casualties across the UK are heading in the wrong direction, with many more senseless, preventable deaths and life-changing injuries,” commented Ed Morrow, campaigns officer for Brake. “However, unlike other parts of the UK, Scotland has the power to act independently to tackle the problem. The Scottish Government has already taken strong, positive action by lowering the drink drive limit, but as this only came in towards the end of 2014, it is too early to see an effect.”
“Holyrood has the power to do more, including setting a 20mph default urban speed limit across Scotland – the increase in pedestrian casualties has highlighted the importance of this to protecting people on foot and bike,” he added. “The Scottish Government has also expressed its willingness to push for a graduated driver licensing pilot in Scotland to cut young driver crashes, a measure we urge them to pursue.”
“By implementing these measures, we are hopeful that Scotland could turn the tide and set an example for the rest of the UK,” he concluded.
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