Fewer fatal accidents on Scotland’s roads but child deaths up

By SHAN ROSS
Published on 20/06/2012 15:37

THE number of people losing their lives or suffering injury on Scotland’s roads is at an all time low, according to figures released today.

Transport Scotland figures show an 11 per cent drop in road deaths and a four per cent reduction in casualties.

There were 12,763 injuries and deaths in 2011, 575 fewer than the previous year.

Of those, deaths were down by 22 to 186 and injuries decreased by 553 to 12,577.

But there was an increase in the number of childen killed - seven children under the age of 16 died in 2011, an increase from four deaths in 2010.

There was also an increase of six per cent for cyclists involved in accidents.

Keith Brown, MSP, Transport Minister, said that the Scottish Government was “very aware of the tragic and personal cost of every fatality on our roads”. Mr Brown said there had been a number of issues to address road safety issues including the launching of the first-ever television advertising campaign Give Me Cycle Space aimed at making drivers think about giving cyclists enough room and Bikeability Scotland initiatives aimed at giving every school child the chance for on-road cycle training.

Kathleen Braidwood, road safety officer for the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents in Scotland, said the figures on child deaths were “disappointing”

“It is distressing to see that the number of children killed on Scotland’s roads rose between 2010 and 2011, particularly in light of the overall reduction in road deaths, and our thoughts are with all the families affected by these tragedies,” Ms Braidwood said.