The Scottish Government

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Summary

On Scotland's roads in 2006 there were:

• 13,109 reported injury accidents in which 17,267 people were reported as being casualties;
• 2,939 people reported killed or seriously injured (314 of whom died);
• 10,704 casualties in cars, 175 of whom died;
• 2,851 pedestrian casualties, of whom 61 were killed;
• 1,068 motor cyclist casualties (of whom 58 were killed);
• 2,021 child casualties, 373 of whom were killed or seriously injured (25 of them died);
• 992 child pedestrian casualties, of whom 247 were killed or seriously injured (9 died).

Between 1996 and 2006:

• The number of fatal accidents fell by 7%, from 316 to 293;
• The total of fatal and serious accidents fell by 30%, from 3,631 to 2,540;
• The total number of accidents (all severities) fell by 18%, from 16,073 to 13,109;
• The number of people killed fell by 12%, from 357 to 314;
• The total of killed and seriously injured casualties fell by 33%, from 4,398 to 2,939;
• The total number of casualties (all severities) fell by 20%, from 21,716 to 17,267;
• Car user casualties fell by 18%, from 13,033 to 10,704;
• Pedestrian casualties fell by 34%, from 4,326 to 2,851;
• Pedal cycle casualties fell by 40%, from 1,297 to 781;
• Motor cycle casualties increased by 26%, from 850 to 1,068;
• Male casualties fell by 21%, from 12,367 to 9,724;
• Female casualties fell by 19%, from 9,349 to 7,529;
• Casualties aged 16-22 fell by 16% from 4,262 to 3,559;
• Casualties aged 23-59 fell by 14% from 11,081 to 9,564;
• Casualties aged 60 and over fell by 18% from 2,546 to 2,091;
• Children killed fell from 27 to 25;
• Child killed and seriously injured casualties fell by 53% from 790 to 373;
• The total number of child casualties (all severities) fell by 47% from 3,827 to 2,021;
• Child pedestrians killed fell from 16 to 9;
• Child pedestrians killed and seriously injured casualties fell by 54% from 540 to 247;
• The total number of child pedestrian casualties fell by 48% from 1,909 to 992;
• The estimated number of drink-drive accidents fell by 12%, from about 750 (in 1996) to roughly 660 (in 2005 - 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 2006 prices fell by 23%, from £1,892 million to £1,463 million.

Over the longer-term:

• Between 1950 and 2006 (inclusive), 33,710 people were killed, and a total of about 1.432 million people were either killed or injured, in accidents on Scotland's roads;
• In 1962 (the earliest year for which a figure is readily available), there were roughly 775,000 vehicles licensed in Scotland, whereas in 2006 the vehicle population stood at 2.587 million. Over the same period, the number of casualties fell from about 26,700 to around 17,300. Thus, whilst the vehicle stock has more than trebled, the number of casualties has actually fallen by a third.

Summary reported road injury accident and reported casualty statistics: 1996 to 2006

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 2006 prices, calculated as described in the text accompanying Tables 9 to 11.

Summary of reported injury accidents and reported casualties by police force area, council and severity: 2006

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