A plea has been made for average speed cameras to be installed on the A75.
And MSP Finlay Carson wants the rule about the criteria for where they can be placed to be changed.
During a Holyrood debate on duelling the A9, the Galloway and West Dumfries Tory representative highlighted issues in Crocketford and Springholm, two villages the Euroroute passes through.
Mr Carson said: “Why can’t average speed cameras be considered where communities are effected on an hourly basis and where other methods of speed detection are simply inadequate and ineffective, where police don’t have the resources and where they could play a huge part in protecting the health and wellbeing of roadside communities?
“I would ask the minister to consider changes to the rules and guidance not only to prevent serious collisions, but also to prevent the ongoing impact on rural villages.
“From the young and not so young, everybody has the right to feel safe as they go about their daily lives.
“We are fortunate in Scotland that this generally is the case, the majority of us don’t even give road safety a second thought when we leave our homes. Sadly, however, there are some who live in fear and anxiety as soon as they step outside their front doors.”
Mr Carson also called for key roads in the region to receive similar treatment to the A9 and be turned into dual carriageways.
He said: “We need this type of intervention across the country – and as a matter of urgency on routes similar to the A9 – mainly the A75 and A77.
“Maybe the minister could tell us why a successful pilot which has significantly reduced accidents is not being rolled-out?
“I have lived next to a road once called Scotland’s killer road for almost all my life.
“The A75 has sadly witnessed 2,500 serious collisions and 222 fatalities since 1979.”
Plans to upgrade the A75 are included in both the second version of the Scottish Government’s strategic transport review and the UK Government’s Union Connectivity Review.
Transport Minister Jenny Gilruth said: “One of the worst things about being the Minister for Transport is that, every time a life is lost on Scotland’s roads, I get sent an email.
“When I was appointed in January last year, I was really struck by the number of emails that I was sent at the beginning of the year.
“Currently, there are challenges on the trunk road network – not just on the A9, but across the network in relation to road safety. We all need to be mindful of that.
“We must also be mindful of behaviour change, about coming out of the pandemic, and about how drivers are behaving, but also about how Government can help to improve road safety.
“It is important that we move forward at pace.”
