Report shows 140 people were killed in reported road accidents in 2021

Finalised statistics from Transport Scotland have confirmed that 140 people were killed in reported road accidents in Scotland last year.

The Reported Road Casualties publication, released on Wednesday by Transport Scotland statisticians, provides finalised figures for the number of people injured or killed in road accidents in 2021 following a provisional release in May.

The figure is one fewer than the number killed in 2020.

However, the overall number of casualties increased slightly in 2021 (5,103) from the record lows recorded the previous year (5,056).

Casualty numbers are expected to have been affected by the Covid-19 pandemic’s impact on travel, particularly during legal requirements to stay at home.

The report also provides an update to the progress made on four national targets for casualty reductions as set out in the Road Safety Framework.

Due for delivery in 2030, the framework aims to reduce the number of people killed and seriously injured by 50%, and the number of children aged under 16 killed and seriously injured by 60%.

As of 2021, the number of people killed was reduced by 19%, serious injuries were reduced by 44%, the number of children under 16 killed was down by 23%, and the number of children under 16 seriously injured by 50%.

The overall rate for car driver accidents was one accident per thousand population aged over 17, with the highest rate being for males in the 17 to 25 age group (1.9 per thousand).

The number of drink-driving accidents was also found to have fallen by 64% between 2010 and 2020, going from 530 accidents to 190.