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1. Introduction
1.1 This bulletin presents some key statistics on road accidents in which people were killed or injured ("injury road accidents") in Scotland in 2000. The figures are provisional, because they were extracted from the Road Accidents statistical database around the middle of May 2001. More detailed analyses of the final figures for 2000 will appear later, in "Road Accidents Scotland 2000". They may differ slightly from the figures here, having been extracted on a later date, because the database may have changed due to (eg) late returns and amendments. For similar reasons, the figures given here for 1999 and earlier years may differ slightly from those published previously.
1.2 In this bulletin, the figures for 2000 are compared with the annual averages for the period 1981-85. This is done because, in 1987, the Government adopted the target of reducing the number of road casualties by one third from the 1981-85 average level by the year 2000.
1.3 In 2000, the UK Government, the Scottish Executive and the National Assembly for Wales announced new GB road safety targets for the year 2010, together with a strategy for achieving them. The new targets are described in section 8.5. Progress towards them will be shown in subsequent editions of this bulletin: the casualty figures for 2001 onwards will be compared with indicative target lines which start at the actual figures for 2000 (the year in which the new targets were adopted) and fall, by a constant percentage each year, to the target figures for the year 2010.
2. Main Points
2.1 The provisional total number of people fatally injured in road accidents in Scotland in 2000 was 325: an increase of 15 (5%) over the figure for 1999, but still the second lowest since current records began, more than fifty years ago. The 2000 figure was 49% below the 1981-85 average number of fatalities per year, so the target of a one-third reduction was surpassed.
2.2 There were 3,552 people recorded as seriously injured in road accidents in 2000, 209 (6%) fewer than in 1999, and the lowest figure since records of the numbers of serious injuries began in 1950. The 2000 figure was 57% below the 1981-85 average, so the target of a one-third reduction was surpassed.
2.3 There were 16,594 people recorded as slightly injured in 2000, 331 (2%) fewer than in 1999, and the lowest number since 1957. The 2000 figure was 9% below the 1981-85 average, and therefore the target of a one-third reduction was not reached.
2.4 The total number of casualties in 2000 was 20,471, which was 525 (3%) lower than in 1999, and the lowest figure since 1954. The 2000 figure was 25% below the 1981-85 average, and therefore the target of a one-third reduction was not reached.
2.5 Accidents on roads in non built-up areas accounted for more than two thirds of all fatalities in Scotland, compared with two fifths of the total number of casualties, presumably because average speeds are higher on such roads.
2.6 A total of 12,625 car users were injured in road accidents in 2000, 182 of whom died (8% more than the previous year). There were 3,610 pedestrian casualties including 72 fatalities. Because of their greater vulnerability, 28% of all pedestrian casualties were either fatally or seriously injured, whereas only 16% of car users were killed or seriously injured.
2.7 There were 3,030 child casualties in 2000, 166 (5%) fewer than in 1999. They included 21 fatalities: four deaths fewer than in 1999. The number of child fatalities was 70% below the 1981-85 average level, and the total number of child casualties was 38% below the 1981-85 average level.
3. Numbers of Accidents (Table 1)
3.1 Table 1 shows the numbers of injury road accidents recorded by the police in 2000 and some earlier years. As noted earlier, the figures relate only to those accidents in which one or more people were killed or injured. Each accident is classified according to the severity of the most seriously injured casualty who was involved in it.
3.2 Following the trend of most years since 1989, the total number of injury road accidents fell. In 2000, there were 15,093 accidents in which someone was killed or injured, 2% fewer than in 1999. However, the number of fatal accidents in 2000 (296) was 11 (4%) more than the figure for 1999 (285). Although there was an increase, the number recorded in 2000 was the second lowest since records of fatal accidents began in 1970, the 1999 figure being the lowest. The number of serious injury accidents in 2000 (2,993) fell by 212 (7%) from the figure for 1999 (3,205) to the lowest figure recorded, and the number of "slight injury" accidents in 2000 (11,804) was 1% less than the figure for 1999 (11,923) and also the lowest number recorded since the current records began in 1970.
4. Numbers of Casualties by Severity (Table 2)
4.1 Numbers fatally injured
The provisional total number of people fatally injured in road accidents in Scotland in 2000 was 325. This was 15 (5%) more than the figure for 1999, but, despite this increase, the number of fatalities was the second lowest since the current records began more than 50 years ago (information about road accident fatalities prior to 1947 is not readily available). With a few exceptions, there has been a fall in each year since 1978, and for most of that period the figures show a clear, steady long-term downward trend, particularly between 1982 and 1994. From that point, the numbers appear to have been fluctuating around a less pronounced downward trend.
The 2000 figure was 49% below the 1981-85 average number of fatalities per year, and therefore the target of a one-third reduction by the year 2000 was surpassed.
4.2 Numbers seriously injured
There were 3,552 people recorded as seriously injured in road accidents in 2000: 209 (6%) less than in 1999. This is the lowest figure since records of the numbers of serious injuries began in 1950. Since the early 1980s, the long-term trend has generally been downward, although there was an apparent levelling-off when the figures for 1996, 1997 and 1998 showed very little change, all being around 4,050. However, as the number of people seriously injured in 2000 was about 500 below that level, it appears that the downward trend has resumed.
The 2000 figure is 57% below the 1981-85 average, so the target of a one-third reduction was surpassed.
4.3 Numbers slightly injured
There were 16,594 people recorded as slightly injured in 2000: 331 (2%) fewer than in 1999. This is the lowest number recorded since 1957. Between 1970 and 1990, the figures fluctuated in a range which was broadly 17,000 to 21,000. The fall between 1990 and 1995 in the number of people with slight injuries, followed by an apparent levelling-off at around 17-18,000 in each of the years from 1996 to 1999, could have been a continuation of that pattern. However, the figure for 2000 was below the bottom of that range.
The 2000 figure is 9% below the 1981-85 average, and therefore the target of a one-third reduction was not reached.
4.4 Total numbers of casualties
The total number of casualties (of all severities) in 2000 was 20,471, which was 525 (3%) lower than in 1999. This represented the lowest number of casualties since 1954. Between about 1970 and 1990, the figures appeared to fluctuate greatly around a general downward trend. Subsequently, the total number of casualties fell markedly from the level of the most recent "short-term" peak (which was over 27,000 in both 1989 and 1990), before appearing to level off: the figures for each of the years from 1993 to 1998 were all within 600 (3%) of the average of 22,330 for those six years. However, as the totals for 1999 and 2000 were both under 21,000, it appears that the downward trend may have resumed.
The 2000 total was 20,471, 25% below the 1981-85 average, and therefore the target of a one-third reduction was not reached.
4.5 The "target lines" shown in the graphs
In each graph, the faint dotted line shows how the numbers of casualties could have fallen, had there been a constant percentage reduction each year, from the actual number in 1987 (the year of adopting the target) to the year 2000 target of one-third of the 1981-85 average. Section 8.4 describes how the "target lines" were produced.
5. Casualties by Type of Road (Table 3)
5.1 In 2000, "non built-up" roads (see the definition in section 8.3) accounted for about two-fifths of the total number of casualties (40%: 8,253 out of 20,471). However, presumably because average speeds are higher on non built-up roads than elsewhere, they accounted for over two-thirds of fatal injuries (70%: 229 out of 325) and for over half of the total number of fatal and serious injuries combined (52%: 1,998 out of 3,877).
5.2 Compared with the 1981-85 average, the fall in the total number of casualties has been much greater for "built-up" roads (30%) than for non built-up roads (16%). The difference between the two types of road is greater when one compares the falls from the 1981-85 averages for the numbers killed (down by 65% for built-up roads compared with 37% for non built-up). However, since the start of the 1980s, some traffic will have been transferred away from built-up roads by the opening of city and town bypasses, and by the construction of unrestricted roads with higher average traffic volumes. Therefore, these figures do not provide an accurate measure of the comparative change in the road safety performance of "built-up" and "non built-up" roads.
6. Casualties by Mode of Transport (Table 3)
6.1 Car users
A total of 12,625 car users were injured in road accidents, representing just over three-fifths of all casualties (62%: 12,625 out of 20,471). Of these people, a total of 1,970 were either fatally or seriously injured, 182 of whom died. Non built-up roads accounted for a little over half of all car user casualties (53%: 6,671 out of 12,625). Presumably because average speeds are higher on non built-up roads, they accounted for much higher percentages of the total numbers of car users who were fatally injured (84%: 152 out of 182) or were fatally or seriously injured (74%: 1,449 out of 1,970).
The number of car user fatalities in 2000 was 8% higher than in 1999, but was 35% below the 1981-85 average level. The number who were fatally or seriously injured fell by 2% from 1999, and the total number of casualties (of all severities) was 2% less than in the previous year. The total number of car user casualties in 2000 was 2% higher than the 1981-85 average level.
6.2 Pedestrians
There were 3,610 pedestrian casualties in 2000: almost a fifth of all casualties (18%: 3,610 out of 20,471). Of these, 996 were fatally or seriously injured (72 died). Presumably because of the greater vulnerability of pedestrians, 28% of pedestrian casualties were fatally or seriously injured (996 out of 3,610) compared with 16% of all car users (1,970 out of 12,625). About 95% of pedestrian casualties occurred on built-up roads (3,442 out of 3,610). Perhaps because of higher average speeds on non built-up roads, 52% of the pedestrian casualties on such roads were serious injuries or fatalities (87 out of 168) compared with 26% on built-up roads (909 out of 3,442).
The number of pedestrian casualties in 2000 was 4% less than in 1999, and 45% below the 1981-85 average. The numbers of pedestrian fatalities, and of fatal and serious injuries, in 2000 were respectively 69% and 62% less than the 1981-85 average levels.
6.3 Other casualties
Together, all other modes of transport accounted for a fifth (21%) of casualties in 2000 (4,236 out of 20,471) and for a similar proportion of the total number of fatal and serious injuries (23%: 911 out of 3,877). There were 879 pedal cyclist casualties in 2000, including 175 (20%) fatal or serious injuries (12 died). In 2000 there were 1,126 motor cycle casualties, 10% more than 1999, of whom 472 (42%) suffered fatal or serious injuries (40 died). Compared with 1999, the total number of fatally and seriously injured motorcycle casualties increased for both built-up and non built-up areas, by 17% and 5% respectively. A total of 926 bus and coach users were injured, of whom 78 suffered fatal or serious injuries (none were killed) - these low proportions presumably being due to the greater protection of their passengers by buses and coaches. The number of bus and coach user casualties on non built-up roads fell by 38% in 2000 whilst the overall number of bus and coach casualties increased by 1%.
The number of motor cycle casualties in 2000 was 67% below the 1981-85 average, and the total number fatally or seriously injured was 66% below the 1981-85 level. Although there was an increase in motorcycle casualties in 2000, the overall fall in motor cyclist casualty numbers of 67% from the 1981-85 average is considerably greater than the reductions for other modes of transport.
7. Child Casualties (Table 4)
7.1 Child casualties
There were 3,030 child casualties in 2000, representing under a sixth of the total number of casualties of all ages (15%: 3,030 out of 20,471). Of the child casualties, 562 were fatalities or serious injuries, of whom 21 died. This was a decrease of 4 fatalities compared to 1999; the total number of child casualties fell by 166 (5%). These numbers were all considerably below the 1981-85 average levels: the number of casualties was 38% lower, and the number of deaths was 70% below the 1981-85 average level.
7.2 Child pedestrians
There were 1,503 child pedestrian casualties in 2000. They accounted for 42% of all pedestrian casualties of all ages (1,503 out of 3,610). Of the child pedestrian casualties, 379 were fatalities or serious injuries (13 died). The number of fatalities was 4 less than 1999, and the total numbers of fatal and serious injuries and of all casualties were less than in 1999 (12% and 7% respectively). These figures were considerably below the corresponding 1981-85 averages: the number of fatal and serious child pedestrian casualties and the overall number of child pedestrian casualties were, respectively, 63% and 47% below the 1981-85 average level.
7.3 Children in cars
In 2000, there were 970 child casualties in cars, 8% of the total number of car user casualties of all ages (970 out of 12,625). Of the child casualties in cars, 95 were fatalities or serious injuries (4 died). While the total number of child car user fatalities and serious injuries was 47% below the 1981-85 average, the total number of child car user casualties (of all severities) was 9% above the 1981-85 average.
7.4 Other child casualties
In 2000, there were 330 child pedal cycle casualties (38% of the total of 879 pedal cycle casualties of all ages), 145 child bus and coach user casualties (16% of the total of 926 of all ages) and 82 other child casualties. The child pedal cycle casualties included 65 fatalities and serious injuries, of whom four died. The total number of child pedal cycle casualties in 2000 was 56% below the 1981-85 average, and the number of child bus and coach user casualties was 11% below the 1981-85 average.
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