The number of Scottish road accident deaths has increased significantly since 2016
New figures released this week by Transport Scotland revealed that 174 people sadly lost their lives on Scottish roads in 2022, making it the most lethal year for road accidents since 2016. According to the report, most of the fatal and serious injuries stemmed from car drivers and passengers, with motorcyclists contributing to 278 of 2022’s serious road accident injuries, and 25 deaths. Despite these frightening increases, the figures look more promising for cyclists and bus users.
Some of the main causes of road traffic accidents in the UK include drivers failing to look properly, reckless driving, loss of control of a vehicle and speeding. With this in mind, Road Safety Scotland advise always wearing a seatbelt, as doing so reduces the chance of injury by 60% for front seat passengers. They also suggest lowering vehicle speed and ensuring you “drive like Gran’s in the car” to help to reduce the chance of road traffic accidents and injuries.
As well as that, The Scottish Government recently announced its Road Safety Framework to 2030, outlining how they planned to address the issues Scotland is currently facing with the number of road traffic accident casualties in the country. The strategic actions outlined in the framework include implementing speed management initiatives, improving road infrastructure and maintenance, and encouraging good road user behaviour through education.
Watermans Head of Dispute Resolution, John Dillon, says
“Every life lost on Scottish roads is one life too many. After seeing lower numbers of fatalities for the past five years it is alarming to see that rate starting to rise again. It is clear that the Road Safety Framework from the Scottish Government is needed and from its implementation, we hope to see a distinctive and continued reduction to that number year on year.”