Calls have been made for more to be done to ensure the safety of roads in the north-east.
A total of 17 people sadly died following collisions on routes across the north-east during 2022.
In total, 368 people sustained injuries ranging in “all severities” which included 237 casualties in Aberdeenshire, 82 in Aberdeen and 49 in Moray.
Along with that, 16 children also fell victim to road accidents last year, suffering fatal, serious and minor injuries.
The figures were published as part of Transport Scotland’s annual report on road casualties for the year 2022.
‘Road safety remains an absolute priority’
Minister for Transport, Fiona Hyslop, said: “One death on our roads is simply one too many.
“My thoughts are with the families and friends who have tragically lost a loved one, and those whose lives are changed forever.
“We do not accept that road casualties are inevitable and are determined to do everything we can to ensure these numbers come down as we work towards our long-term target of no one being seriously injured or killed on our roads by 2050.
“Road safety remains an absolute priority for this government and we are determined to continue working towards our goal of Scotland having the best road safety performance in the world by 2030.”
More than 4,000 collisions nationwide
The figures are a fraction of the 4,134 collisions recorded across Scotland in 2022.
Chief Superintendent Hilary Sloan, head of road policing, said road safety is of paramount importance to officers across Scotland.
She said: “Road safety is a priority for Police Scotland and we are part of a crucial partnership approach.
“Our officers are out every day educating road users and carrying out enforcement.
“We have dedicated intelligence-led patrols on targeted routes to take action against dangerous drivers and respond to community concerns. We also support a national calendar of road safety activity, deliver campaigns and work alongside road safety partners.
“We are committed to supporting the Scottish Government’s Road Safety Framework and we will continue to make sure we are doing all we can to improve road safety.”
‘One death is one too many’
The rising death toll has sparked concern amongst local representatives, who called on government officials to prioritise improvements to the A96.
Alexander Burnett, the MSP for Aberdeenshire West, said the figures were “harrowing” and “heart-breaking” for families who had lost loved ones.
He says the government’s focus should not be on their 20mph rollout but on dualling the Aberdeen to Inverness trunk road to ensure they deliver on their promises.
He said: “One death is one too many and it’s clear Aberdeenshire’s roads are not fit for purpose.
“The Scottish Government must look at prioritising the north-east’s trunk road network rather than only caring about the Central Belt.
“Roads like the A96 should have been dualled by now but instead, the SNP Government is betraying our region by reneging on its promise which it made more than a decade ago.
“That will only increase the risk of further collisions on our main roads, which have been badly neglected while the budgets of councils are being cut year after year by SNP ministers.”
Conversation