SCOTLAND'S transport minister has insisted road safety “remains an absolute priority” as the number of people killed on the roads reached its highest level for seven years.
A total of 173 people were killed in road collisions in Scotland in 2022 – 32 more than the previous year.
The figures, published by Transport Scotland, show there were 153 collisions last year in which at least one person was killed – up by 17 from 2021.
Another 1,776 people were seriously injured in road collisions, and 3,672 were slightly injured – up 10% and 9% respectively from the previous year.
The overall casualty total for 2022 was 5,621 – which was 506 (10%) more than in 2021.
The Transport Scotland report said casualty figures “have been increasing steadily since the lows that were seen during the pandemic years of 2020 and 2021”.
However it added: “Apart from fatalities, the figures are lower than they were prior to the pandemic.”
Pedestrians accounted for 912 casualties last year, up by almost a fifth (18%) from 2021. This includes 367 pedestrians who were seriously injured and 33 who were killed.
The figures also show 587 children were casualties in 2022, with 176 youngsters seriously injured and three killed.
Transport minister Fiona Hyslop (below) said: “One death on our roads is simply one too many. My thoughts are with the families and friends who have tragically lost a loved one, and those whose lives are changed forever.
“We do not accept that road casualties are inevitable and are determined to do everything we can to ensure these numbers come down as we work towards our long-term target of no-one being seriously injured or killed on our roads by 2050.
“That is why the Scottish Government is investing more than £31 million on road safety this financial year to support projects such as our trunk road casualty reduction programme, the road safety improvement fund, our safety camera programme, and the expansion of 20mph areas in communities across Scotland.
“This is in addition to Police Scotland’s enforcement work and the action taken by our local authorities.”
She also stressed the importance of action to “make walking, wheeling and cycling easier and safer across the country”, saying there has been “record investment in active travel this financial year”.
Hyslop added: “Road safety remains an absolute priority for this Government and we are determined to continue working towards our goal of Scotland having the best road safety performance in the world by 2030.”
