This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Drop in road deaths
13/06/2005
The number of people killed on Scotland's roads dropped
by seven per cent last year.
Figures released today show that 307 people died in road
accidents in 2004, compared to the 331 people killed in
2003.
The 2004 figures show that the number of deaths and
serious injuries are 38 per cent lower, and child deaths
and serious injuries are 55 per cent lower, than in the
annual averages for 1994 - 1998.
This means the Executive has now reached its target of
halving the number of children killed and seriously injured
by 2010.
Transport Minister Nicol Stephen welcomed the decrease.
He said:
"It is encouraging that the number of people killed on
Scotland's roads decreased last year, and that the number
of serious injuries is now at the lowest level since
records began more than 50 years ago.
"The trends show that we are well on the way to meeting
our targets for reducing the number of people killed or
seriously injured on Scotland's roads by 2010.
"There is still a great deal to be done to make our
roads safer, but I am particularly pleased that we have now
achieved our target of a 50 per cent reduction in the
number of children killed and seriously injured.
"We now need to continue our efforts to improve road
safety through effective education for children and
drivers, safety improvements on our roads and tougher
enforcement. I am determined that we reduce the number of
deaths on our roads still further to significantly less
than 300 deaths each year.
"The Executive-funded Scottish Road Safety Campaign
continues to do excellent work in developing road safety
campaigns and education initiatives.
"We are also funding cycling, walking and safer street
projects and providing additional resources to local
authorities for 20mph speed limits outside schools, safer
routes to school projects and the development of home
zones.
"All of this, alongside new investment in road
improvements at accident blackspots, will help us prevent
even more needless deaths and injury on Scotland's
roads."
In 2000, the UK Government, the Executive and the
National Assembly for Wales announced a new road safety
strategy and casualty reduction targets for 2010. The new
targets, which were given in 'Tomorrow's Roads - safer for
everyone', are based on the annual average casualty levels
over the period 1994-1998, and are for:
- A 40 per cent reduction in the number of people
killed or seriously injured in road traffic
accidents
- A 50 per cent reduction in the number of children
killed or seriously injured
- A 10 per cent reduction in the slight casualty
rate, expressed as the number of people slightly
injured per 100 million vehicle kilometres
The Executive funds the Scottish Road Safety Campaign to
develop key road safety educational resources and publicity
messages.
The Executive is providing funding for 12 local
authorities for pilot schemes to teach five and six year
olds practical road safety skills. The Executive also funds
free membership of the Children's Traffic Club in Scotland,
ensuring that vital road safety training is available to
all three and four year old children.
The Executive is providing dedicated funding to local
authorities, totalling more than £55 million between 2000
and 2008, for cycling, walking and safer streets projects.
It is also making available resources of nearly £50 million
to local authorities between 2003 and 2008 for the
introduction of 20 mph speed limits outside schools, safer
routes to school projects and the development of home
zones.