Road deaths up but total casualties at record low

Deaths and serious injuries on Scotland’s roads increased last year even though the total number of casualties fell to their lowest level since records began in 1950.

Transport Scotland statisticsconfirmed191people died, a 14 per cent increase and 23 more than in 2015.

Those seriously injured increased by 6 per cent to 1,697, while the number of people slightly injured fell 2 per cent to 9,013.

That meant the overall casualty total went down by 1 per cent from 10,973 to 10,901, the lowest number in 66 years.

Transportministerhumza Yousaf said the rise in the number of deaths and serious injuries was “disappointing” but Scotland was still on track to hit its road safety targets.

Car users who died following crashes increased by 31 to 106 while the number of motorcyclists killed also increased, rising to 30 – up three from 2015.

A total of eight cyclists died on the road in 2016, three more than the previous year, while pedestrian deaths fell by 12 to 32.

The number of children killed more than doubled, rising from four to 12.

In total there were 1,000 child casualties, a 4 per cent increase, including 167 children who were seriously injured, up from 139.

Serious injuries rose for car users by 19 per cent and motorcyclists by 4 per cent.