No surprise at ‘tragic’ A82 accident figures
The head of a Lochaber campaign group has again called for ‘urgent investment’ on the A82 after new Transport Scotland figures reveal the full extent of casualties on the road.
Stewart MacLean, chairman of the A82 Partnership, said he was saddened but not suragainst prised by the recent collision figures for the Inverness to Glasgow route which revealed there were 33 deaths and 146 bad crashes on the road in the last five years.
‘These figures don’t come as a surprise to us at all,’ Mr MacLean said. ‘We are constantly monitoring the road and are fully aware of the tragedy of the situation. It highlights again the compete inadequacy of the road for
2018.’
The new figures, released by Transport Scotland under freedom of information laws, show traffic accidents in which there were injuries spanning from April 2013 to March this year. The injuries were classed as slight, serious or fatal.
One of the most dangerous sections of road was shown to be at Corrychurrachan by Loch Linnhe which saw 11 accidents, while the turn-off at Corran Ferry was the most dangerous junction on the A82 with four incidents in five years.
In Fort William and Inverlochy there were 13 reported incidents, while the area west of Spean Bridge experienced six road collisions since April 2013.
The figures also highlighted a number of blackspots close to the Glencoe Ski Resort. Mr MacLean continued: ‘The road must be playing a big part in those figures. We have written to the new transport minister Michael Matheson highlighting the urgency for significant investment while at the same time appreciating the investments that will soon be made on Loch Lomond side in particular.’
Design work is on-going for a section of road to be upgraded between Tarbet and Inverarnan with preparation of draft orders expected later in 2018. A new sign was installed at Urquhart Castle and there has been work at Corrychurrachan in recent years.
A Transport Scotland spokesperson said: ‘Road safety is of paramount importance to the Scottish Government. We assess the safety performance of the trunk road network annually, which includes the A82.
‘The latest statistics show casualties on Scotland’s roads are at the lowest levels since records began. This is of little consolation to friends and relatives of people who have tragically died on our road network. There is more that we can do, and will do, to ensure no-one is killed on Scotland’s roads.’
Official figures released earlier this year showed 146 people were killed in reported road accidents in Scotland in 2017, 45 fewer than in 2016.
‘Through continued education, engineering and appropriate enforcement by partners, we can bring about a revolution in road safety as we continue to work towards the objectives set out in Scotland’s Road Safety Framework to 2020,’ added the spokesperson.