A82 crash figures revealed

The A82 trunk road between Glasgow and Inverness via Fort William has recorded the most accidents in Scotland, according to new figures, writes Ellis Butcher.

The data, provided by the Scottish Government to the Scottish Lib Dems, shows a total of 55 serious collisions and 18 fatalities between January 2017 and summer 2019.

The figures do not include ‘damage only’ incidents where no injuries are reported.

The Lib Dems ranked it among Scotland’s ‘deadliest’ roads. At 167 miles long, it is the country’s second longest trunk road behind the A9, and one of the country’s most popular scenic routes and a ‘vital artery’ linking the West Highlands to the central belt.

Across all of Scotland’s trunk roads, there were nearly 800 serious or fatal accidents.

Jamie Stone, Lib Dem MP for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross, has called on the Scottish Government to invest more in road safety.

Mr Stone said: ‘With our tourist industry reopening, thousands of people will be planning their trips to see more of our beautiful country.’

A Transport spokesperson said:

Scotland ‘Scotland compares well with the road safety record of the rest of the UK and many other countries.

‘This provides no comfort to the friends and family of those who have sadly lost their lives and we want to do more.

‘Information on accidents is used to ensure action and investment is targeted to the areas that need it most.

‘We remain committed to working with our road safety partners to deliver a co-ordinated approach to road safety to secure the ultimate vision established in Scotland’s Road Safety Framework to 2020 and beyond, where no one is killed on our roads.’