The number of people killed on Scotland’s roads has reached its highest level for seven years.
A total of 173 people were killed in road collisions in 2022 — 32 more than the previous year.
The figures, published by Transport Scotland, show that there were 153 collisions last year in which at least one person was killed, 17 more than in 2021.
Another 1,776 people were seriously injured in road collisions, and 3,672 were slightly injured — up 10 per cent and 9 per cent respectively from the previous year.
The overall casualty total was 5,621, 506 (10 per cent) more than in 2021.
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Scottish ministers continue to face criticism over delays to plans to dual one of Scotland’s most dangerous roads. The SNP first promised to dual the A9, which is the main trunk road between central Scotland and the Highlands, when it was elected to government in 2007. A target date of 2025 has recently been shelved by ministers and no new timetable has been set out.
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 18 per cent 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 of them suffering serious injuries and three killed.
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Fiona Hyslop, the transport minister, 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 for ever.
“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”.
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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.”
