Call to curb speeding as almost 10,000 injured

A ROAD safety charity is calling for action to cut speeding after figures showed more than 9700 people were injured and 159 killed on Scottish roads in the year to June.

Brake is making the call as part of Road Safety Week after other Scottish Government figures showed a 14 per cent rise in road deaths in Scotland during 2016 compared with 2015. Across Glasgow last year, there were 1271 reported road accidents – seven of which were fatal and 153 were serious. There were 191 fatalities on the country’s roads overall in 2016, 14 per cent more than the previous year.

New analysis by Brake found that exceeding the speed limit was a factor in 291 crashes. Travelling too fast for conditions contributed to 510 crashes during 2016, Brake said.

Provisional statistics from the Department for Transport revealed that 9705 people were injured and 159 were killed in crashes on Scottish roads in the year to June 2017.

The charity is calling for the introduction of a default 20mph limit in all built-up areas, increased police enforcement and Intelligent Speed Adaptation, which helps drivers stay within the speed limit, to be fitted as standard to all new vehicles.

Jason Wakeford, director of campaigns for Brake, said: “Driving is unpredictable and if something unexpected happens on the road ahead, such as a child stepping out from between parked cars, it’s a driver’s speed that determines whether they can stop in time.

“That’s why we’re encouraging everyone to ‘Speed Down Save Lives’ for Road Safety Week this year.”

A Transport Scotland spokeswoman agreed: “Average speed camera systems on the A9 and A77 have proven that encouraging improved driver behaviour can lead to a significant reduction in road casualties – that is why we have invested a further £2million installing a similar system on the A90.”