POTHOLE BLAMED FOR ROAD DEATH
Crumbling and defective surfaces cause serious accidents
THIRTY people have been injured and one has died because of Scotland’s crumbling roads in the past year.
Police figures show there were 21 accidents across the country where defective road surfaces were a factor – with 15 people seriously hurt and one fatally injured.
It come after the Record revealed the horror toll of pothole-related accidents last year – with 15 deaths and more than 700 injuries in the past decade.
and despite the number of injuries recorded by Police scotland falling for a second year running, one driving expert said the country’s roads are worse than ever and motorists are merely becoming more skilled at navigating craters.
Neil Greig, director of policy and research at IaM Roadsmart, formerly the Institute of advanced Motorists, said: “I’m surprised potholes aren’t causing more injury as, in terms of drivers’ complaints and feedback we’re getting, the actual state of the roads has not improved.” One fatality was recorded in the north-east last year, where a “defective road surface” was a factor.
Figures, released under Freedom of Information laws, show there has been a marked reduction in the amount of people injured in the last year compared to 2022 – when 48 people were hurt.
Local roads are the responsibility of councils, which allocate resources on the basis of local priorities using a block grant of scottish Government funding.
the scottish Government, which is responsible for maintaining the trunk road network, said investment would increase by more than 30 per cent and rise to over £668million in 2024-25.
a spokesman said: “It is up to roads authorities to maintain the roads they are responsible for.
“Operating companies are required to complete regular safety inspections and safety patrols. their inspection teams are on the network to identify defects, including potholes, prioritise them based on the potential risk to road safety and where possible repair them or call for back-up.”