Provisional figures published by Transport Scotland show that road casualties in Scotland in 2011 fell to the lowest figure ever recorded, but there were increases in child fatalities and casualties among pedestrians and cyclists.
Key Reported Road Casualties Scotland 2011 shows there were 186 road fatalities in 2011, 22 fewer than in 2010. The provisional figures also show that there were 12,763 reported road casualties in 2011, 4% fewer than 2010.
The report also reveals that 1,873 people were seriously injured on the roads in 2011, 5% fewer than in 2010; 10,704 people were slightly injured, a 4% fall compared with 2011; and there were 1,315 child casualties, 5% fewer than in 2010.
Focusing on the increase in child fatalities – seven under-16s were killed on the roads in 2011, compared with four in 2010 – Kathleen Braidwood, road safety officer for RoSPA Scotland, said: “It is distressing to see that the number of children killed on Scotland’s roads rose, particularly in light of the overall reduction in road deaths. It is also disappointing to see that cyclist and pedestrian casualty figures went against the general downwards trend.
“The child, cyclist and pedestrian figures show that we cannot see road safety as a ‘job done’. The figures for these vulnerable road user groups mar the overall reduction in the number of casualties on Scotland’s roads to a level that is actually a record low.
“Scotland has a very strong culture of different organisations working together in road safety and it is crucial that this work continues and that all those involved look for fresh ways to prevent death and injury on our roads.”
Click here to see a summary of the main finding, or click here to read the full report.
Comment on this story