This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
Listen
Drop in road deaths
30/01/2006
Figures released today in "Road Accidents Scotland 2004" confirm that 306 people were killed in 2004, an eight per cent decrease on 2003, and the second lowest figure for 50 years.
The 2004 figures also show that the Executive has reached its target of halving the number of children killed and seriously injured on the roads by 2010.
Transport Minister Tavish Scott said:
"This devolved government is committed to making Scotland's roads safer for all who use them and I welcome the fact that these figures show a reduction in the number of people killed and injured on our roads.
"However, we must not be complacent. We must continue to promote safe driving through effective education, safety improvements on our roads and tougher enforcement.
"The Scottish Safety Camera Programme's hard-hitting road safety campaign, new investments in road improvements at accident black spots and our substantial funding to local authorities to introduce 20 mph zones and safer routes to schools are all part of that three-pronged approach.
"Combined with our support for Road Safety Scotland, and cycling and walking projects such as the development of the National Cycle Network we are committed to preventing even more needless deaths and injuries on our roads."
Provisional figures for Road Accidents Scotland 2004 were published in June 2005. Today's final figures include a more detailed breakdown of the figures, including a comparison with England and Wales and about 30 other countries. The publication can be found at http://www.scotland.gov.uk/transtat/ras
On March 1, 2000, the UK Government, the Scottish 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 the document Tomorrow's roads - safer for everyone, are based on the annual average casualty levels over the period 1994 to 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; and
- a 10 per cent reduction in the slight casualty rate, expressed as the number of people slightly injured per 100 million vehicle kilometres.