4. Reported numbers of Casualties by Severity (Table 2)
4.1 In 2010, 208 people were killed in road accidents in Scotland, 8 (4%) fewer than 2009 and the lowest since current records began more than 60 years ago. Since 1978, there has been a clear, steady long-term downward trend. More recent years' figures appear to have been fluctuating around a less pronounced downward trend.
4.2 In 2010 there were 1,960 seriously injured in road accidents: 326 (14%) less than in 2009 and the lowest since records started in 1950. The long-term trend, has generally been downward since the early 1980s.
4.3 There were 11,156 people reported as slightly injured in 2010 which was 1,385 (11%) fewer than in 2009. This is the lowest number recorded since 1950. Between 1970 and the late 1990s, the figures fluctuated between 17,000 and 21,000. However, the reductions in figures every year since 1997 suggest a clear downward trend.
Table 2: Casualties by Severity, 1950 - 2010
| Killed | Serious injury | Killed and Serious | Slight injury | All Severities |
|---|
1950 | 529 | 4,553 | 5,082 | 10,774 | 15,856 |
|---|
1955 | 610 | 5,096 | 5,706 | 15,193 | 20,899 |
|---|
1960 | 648 | 6,632 | 7,280 | 19,035 | 26,315 |
|---|
1965 | 743 | 8,744 | 9,487 | 22,340 | 31,827 |
|---|
1970 | 815 | 10,027 | 10,842 | 20,398 | 31,240 |
|---|
1975 | 769 | 8,779 | 9,548 | 19,073 | 28,621 |
|---|
1980 | 700 | 8,839 | 9,539 | 19,747 | 29,286 |
|---|
1985 | 602 | 7,786 | 8,388 | 18,899 | 27,287 |
|---|
1986 | 601 | 7,422 | 8,023 | 18,094 | 26,117 |
|---|
1987 | 556 | 6,707 | 7,263 | 17,485 | 24,748 |
|---|
1988 | 554 | 6,732 | 7,286 | 18,139 | 25,425 |
|---|
1989 | 553 | 6,998 | 7,551 | 19,981 | 27,532 |
|---|
1990 | 546 | 6,252 | 6,798 | 20,430 | 27,228 |
|---|
1991 | 491 | 5,638 | 6,129 | 19,217 | 25,346 |
|---|
1992 | 463 | 5,176 | 5,639 | 18,534 | 24,173 |
|---|
1993 | 399 | 4,454 | 4,853 | 17,561 | 22,414 |
|---|
1994 | 363 | 5,208 | 5,571 | 17,002 | 22,573 |
|---|
1995 | 409 | 4,930 | 5,339 | 16,855 | 22,194 |
|---|
1996 | 357 | 4,041 | 4,398 | 17,318 | 21,716 |
|---|
1997 | 377 | 4,047 | 4,424 | 18,205 | 22,629 |
|---|
1998 | 385 | 4,072 | 4,457 | 18,010 | 22,467 |
|---|
1999 | 310 | 3,765 | 4,075 | 16,927 | 21,002 |
|---|
2000 | 326 | 3,568 | 3,894 | 16,623 | 20,517 |
|---|
2001 | 348 | 3,410 | 3,758 | 16,153 | 19,911 |
|---|
2002 | 304 | 3,229 | 3,533 | 15,742 | 19,275 |
|---|
2003 | 336 | 2,958 | 3,294 | 15,463 | 18,757 |
|---|
2004 | 308 | 2,766 | 3,074 | 15,428 | 18,502 |
|---|
2005 | 286 | 2,666 | 2,952 | 14,933 | 17,885 |
|---|
2006 | 314 | 2,635 | 2,949 | 14,320 | 17,269 |
|---|
2007 | 281 | 2,385 | 2,666 | 13,572 | 16,238 |
|---|
2008 | 270 | 2,574 | 2,844 | 12,746 | 15,590 |
|---|
2009 | 216 | 2,286 | 2,502 | 12,541 | 15,043 |
|---|
2010 prov. | 208 | 1,960 | 2,168 | 11,156 | 13,324 |
|---|
1994 - 1998 average | 378 | 4,460 | 4,838 | 17,478 | 22,316 |
|---|
2006 - 2010 average | 258 | 2,368 | 2,626 | 12,867 | 15,493 |
|---|
2010 percentage change: |
|---|
on 2009 | -4% | -14% | -13% | -11% | -11% |
|---|
on 94-98 average | -45% | -56% | -55% | -36% | -40% |
|---|
1. Figures for 2009 and earlier years may differ slightly to those previously published due to late returns, or corrections to earlier returns.
2. Although regular records of the numbers of casualties began in 1947, the level of severity was only collected from 1950 and the number of injury road accidents weren't collected until 1970.
4.4 There were a total of 13,324 casualties (of all severities) reported in 2010: 1,719 (11%) lower than in 2009 and the lowest since 1938. Between around 1970 and 1990, the figures fluctuated around a general downward trend, with numbers falling from the short-term peak in 1989 & 1990 (of over 27,000). Since 1998, there has been a consistent reduction every year, with numbers dropping below 20,000 in 2001 - the first for almost 50 years.
Figure 1: Killed from 1950 to 2010
Figure 2: Killed & Seriously injured casualties and Seriously injured casualties, 1950 - 2010
Figure 3: All casualties and Slightly injured casualties, 1950 - 2010
