03 August 2020
North East road collisions and casualties - Interim update for 2019
Reductions in north east road collisions and casualties during 2019 have been welcomed following the publication of Transport Scotland’s Key Reported Road Casualties Scotland (KRRCS) report.
KRRCS is produced annually as the interim national road casualty update, with the final statistical report following in the autumn.
Interim key statistics for the North East (Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire and Moray) in 2019 are:
- 17 fatal injury collisions occurred – an 11% reduction from the 2015 to 2019 average figure (from 19 to 17) and a 59% reduction from the 2004 to 2008 average figure (from 41 to 17).
- 363 injury collisions (of all types) – a 27% reduction from the 2015 to 2019 average figure (from 500 to 363) and a 70% reduction from the 2004 to 2008 average figure (from 1206 to 363).
- 19 fatal casualties occurred – a 10% reduction from the 2015 to 2019 average figure (from 21 to 19) and a 59% reduction from the 2004 to 2008 average figure (from 46 to 19)
- 511 casualties (of all types) occurred – a 23% decrease from the 2015 to 2019 average figure (from 661 to 511) and a 67% reduction from the 2004 to 2008 average figure (from 1550 to 511)
Commenting on the update, Ewan Wallace, Head of Transportation at Aberdeenshire Council and Chair of Road Safety North East Scotland (RSNES) said:
“These interim figures are positive, with further reductions seen in the numbers of both road collisions and casualties.
“For several years we have seen steady reductions occurring, but we can’t be complacent and must ensure there is an ongoing focus on local road casualty reduction.
“All of us have a responsibility to use roads safely and carefully: we also need to be aware of our surroundings, anticipate what may lie ahead in our journey and be particularly mindful when encountering vulnerable road users such as children, pedal cyclists and pedestrians.
“2020 is the final year of the Scottish Government’s national ten-year Road Safety Framework and it is a year which has seen some significant changes to local road use. Increases in the numbers of both pedestrians and pedal cyclists during the COVID-19 pandemic period is perhaps one of the most obvious and we need to be mindful of their vulnerabilities when using the road.
“We must never forget that behind the casualty totals are people who have been injured while using roads in North East Scotland. For both individuals and communities, the impact of a serious road collision can be devastating and the partner organisations of Road Safety North East Scotland will continue to work together and promote road safety for the benefit of all road users.
You can follow RSNES on Twitter at: https://twitter.com/roadsafetynes
Notes to editors:
- Reference to ‘north east’ means the combined local authority areas of Aberdeen City, Aberdeenshire and Moray.
- Reference to ‘all types of injury’ means the combined number of those sustaining fatal, serious and slight injuries.
- Percentages have been rounded off to the nearest whole number.
- Road Safety North East Scotland is a partnership consisting of Aberdeen City Council, Aberdeenshire Council, Moray Council, NESTRANS, NHS Grampian, North Safety Camera Unit, Police Scotland and the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, who seek to promote road safety and road casualty reduction across the North East of Scotland.
These organisations work together with the strategic vision of ‘a future where no one is killed on North East roads and the injury rate is much reduced.'