Scots suffer worse road accidents than England

Safety concerns have been raised after new data showed more people are hurt in Scottish road accidents compared to England and Wales.

In a new report Transport Scotland confirmed 141 people died from road accidents in Scotland in 2020 – this included 71 car users, 34 pedestrians, 11 cyclists and 16 motorcyclists.

There were also 1,547 people seriously injured and a further 3,352 people slightly injured.

Figures were expected to be lower due to COVID impacting the way people travelled – but it also revealed an alarming trend.

Scotland has experienced more child deaths, more pedestrian deaths and more serious accidents.

Gordon Dalyell, Partner in our Edinburgh office, said: “The Scottish Government needs to ask itself why it’s seeing such a significant difference in data.

“So many things contribute to road safety that it’s impossible to identify any one factor but each accident is a life or a family potentially harmed beyond repair and officials cannot be complacent.”

For 2020 officials found Scotland’s car user fatality rate was 43% higher than that of England & Wales.

The rate for injured child car passengers was 44% higher and the number of pedestrians killed was 19% higher.

The number of injured child cyclists was also 28% higher.

Officials made no explanation for the difference in accident stats.

The report only stated fatal and serious injury rates of car users in Scotland have been substantially higher than those of England & Wales for “many years”.

Mr Dalyell added: “The data speaks for itself and it has one message – more people are being hurt on Scottish roads than anywhere else in the UK.

“And that message is simply not good enough.”