Cameras help cut A9 crash deaths and injuries

THE number of accidents and deaths on the A9 has continued to drop since the introduction of average speed cameras along the route.

New figures from the A9 Safety Group show that four fewer people were killed and 22 fewer people were seriously injured on the road compared to an equivalent period before they were installed.

The number of fatal and serious collisions was down overall by 45 per cent.

Since the cameras were introduced, 8,015 vehicles have been caught speeding out of more than 22 million journeys made along the route. The report looked at the impact of the cameras on the route between Dunblane and Inverness in the first 18 months of their operation, to April 30 this year.

It recorded no fatal collisions between Dunblane and Perth, with the number of serious collisions and injuries down by almost 85 per cent on this stretch.

The report also found a continued overall improvement in driver behaviour and reliability of journey times.

The A9 Safety Group was set up by Transport Scotland to look at reducing casualties before and during the A9 dualling programme.

Transport minister Humza Yousaf said: “Safety is an absolute priority and every road death is one too many.

“The latest A9 Safety Group figures indicate the route is much safer since the average speed cameras were introduced.”

Stewart Leggett, chairman of the A9 Safety Group, said: “Since the cameras were introduced there has been a sustained improvement in driver behaviour and we are now seeing a corresponding fall in casualties.”