This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
Listen
2004 Road Accident Statistics
13/06/2005
The provisional total number of people killed in road accidents in Scotland in 2004 was 307, a decrease of 24 (seven per cent) over 2003. This figure is the second lowest total since current records began more than 50 years ago.
There were falls in the number of people who were seriously injured and in the number slightly injured. The figures also show that there were 12 child fatalities in 2004, five less than in 2003.
The Statistical Bulletin Key 2004 Road Accident Statistics, published today by the Executive, provides provisional totals for road accidents and casualties in 2004, and compares the figures with the average levels for 1994-1998 (the "baseline" period for the road safety targets for the year 2010).
The bulletin also gives the number of accidents and casualties in each police force and local authority areas.
The bulletin shows that in 2004:
- 307 people were killed on Scotland's roads - 24 less than in 2003
- 2,712 people were seriously injured - 235 (eight per cent) fewer than in 2003, and the lowest figure since records of these numbers began in 1950
- 15,227 people were slightly injured: 219 (one per cent) fewer than in 2003, and the lowest figure since 1955
- the total number of casualties was 18,246: 478 (three per cent) fewer than in 2003, and the lowest figure since 1953
- there were 3,019 people killed or seriously injured in 2004, 38 per cent below the 1994-98 average level, so the target of a 40 per cent reduction by the year 2010 has almost been achieved
- there were 381 children killed or seriously injured in 2004, 55 per cent below the 1994-98 average level, so the 2010 target of a 50 per cent reduction has already been achieved
- at the time of writing, 2003 is the latest year for which there is an estimate of the total volume of traffic for Scotland as a whole. The slight casualty rate of 36.74 casualties per 100 million vehicle kilometres in 2003 was 21% below the 1994-98 average, so the 2010 target of a reduction of 10% has already been achieved
- accidents in non built-up areas accounted for over two thirds of all those killed but only about two-fifths of total casualties, perhaps because average speeds are higher on such roads
- there were 11,450 car user casualties, including 168 fatalities, and 3,031 pedestrian casualties, 75 of whom were killed
- the other casualties included 977 motorcyclists, 909 bus and coach users and 764 pedal cyclists
- the number of child fatalities was 12, 5 less than in 2003. The total number of child casualties fell by 118 (five per cent) to 2,358
More detailed analyses of the final 2004 figures will appear later in the year.
In 2000, the UK Government, the Scottish Executive and the National Assembly for Wales announced a new road safety strategy and casualty reduction targets for 2010. The new targets, which were given in the document 'Tomorrow's roads - safer for everyone', are based on the annual average casualty levels over the period 1994 to 1998, and are for:
- a 40 per cent reduction in the number of people killed or seriously injured in road traffic accidents
- a 50 per cent reduction in the number of children killed or seriously injured
- a 10 per cent reduction in the slight casualty rate, expressed as the number of people slightly injured per 100 million vehicle kilometres
Progress towards the new targets is shown in today's publication. The relevant casualty figures are compared with indicative lines which start at the level of the "baseline" in 1996 (because that is the middle year of the baseline period) and fall, by a constant percentage each year, to the target figures for the year 2010.