Scottish Government

Summary

On Scotland's roads in 2008 there were:

• 12,149 reported injury accidents in which 15,576 people were reported as being casualties;
• 2,838 people reported killed or seriously injured (270 of whom died);
• 9,666 casualties in cars, 153 of whom died;
• 2,589 pedestrian casualties, of whom 60 were killed;
• 1,041 motor cyclist casualties (of whom 34 were killed);
• 1,689 child casualties, 297 of whom were killed or seriously injured (20 of them died);
• 830 child pedestrian casualties - 197 were killed or seriously injured (4 died).

Between 1998 and 2008:

• The number of fatal accidents fell by 28%, from 339 to 245;
• The total of fatal and serious accidents fell by 32%, from 3,657 to 2,481;
• The total number of accidents (all severities) fell by 26%, from 16,519 to 12,149;
• The number of people killed fell by 30%, from 385 to 270;
• The total of killed and seriously injured casualties fell by 36%, from 4,457 to 2,838;
• The total number of casualties (all severities) fell by 31%, from 22,467 to 15,576;
• Car user casualties fell by 30%, from 13,834 to 9,666;
• Pedestrian casualties fell by 36%, from 4,077 to 2,589;
• Pedal cycle casualties fell by 36%, from 1,140 to 725;
• Motor cycle casualties increased by 7%, from 976 to 1,041;
• Male casualties fell by 31%, from 12,707 to 8,829;
• Female casualties fell by 31%, from 9,760 to 6,723;
• Casualties aged 16-22 fell by 24% from 4,170 to 3,169;
• Casualties aged 23-59 fell by 29% from 12,268 to 8,693;
• Casualties aged 60 and over fell by 20% from 2,494 to 1,988;
• Child fatalities fell from 32 to 20;
• Child killed and seriously injured casualties fell by 57% from 698 to 297;
• The total number of child casualties (all severities) fell by 52% from 3,535 to 1,689;
• Child pedestrian fatalities fell from 18 to 4;
• Child pedestrians killed and seriously injured casualties fell by 57% from 455 to 197;
• The total number of child pedestrian casualties fell by 53% from 1,762 to 830;
• The estimated number of drink-drive accidents fell by 9%, from about 740 (in 1998) to roughly 670 (in 2007 - the latest year for which estimates are available), and the estimated number of people killed in such accidents fell from about 50 to around 30 in the same period;
• The estimated total cost of all road accidents (including damage only accidents) at 2008 prices fell by 32%, from £2,231 million to £1,526 million.

Over the longer-term:

• Between 1950 and 2008 (inclusive), 34,261 people were killed, and a total of about 1.463 million people were either killed or injured, in accidents on Scotland's roads;
• In 1962 (the earliest year for which a figure is available), there were roughly 775,000 vehicles licensed in Scotland, whereas in 2008 the vehicle population stood at 2.688 million. Over the same period, the number of casualties fell from about 26,700 to around 15,600. Therefore whilst the vehicle stock has more than trebled, the number of casualties has actually fallen by more than a third.

Table A: Summary of reported road injury accident and reported casualty statistics: 1998 to 2008

1. Built-up roads have a speed limit of up to 40mph; Non built-up roads have a speed limit of over 40mph
2. Estimates, adjusted for under-reporting as described in the text accompanying Table 22. The latest year's estimates are not yet available.
3. Estimated total costs (including damage only accidents) at 2008 prices, calculated as described in the text accompanying Tables 9 to 11.

Table B: Summary of reported injury accidents and reported casualties by police force area, council and severity: 2008