A decade on from the horrific and “preventable” crash that claimed the life of her only son, an Aberdeenshire mother has backed a nationwide campaign to reduce the number of road fatalities.
Dorothy-Anne Scott’s son Mark was just 19-years-old when he was killed on the A980 between Alford and Banchory.
He was in the passenger seat of a car whose driver was breaking the speed limit and subsequently lost control on a bend and crashed into a wall.
Mr Scott, who was about to start an apprenticeship as an aeronautical engineer, died at the scene.
The driver was convicted of causing death by dangerous driving and jailed for ten months.
Ms Scott has now backed a Government campaign that encourages drivers to prepare for the unexpected and slow down on country roads.
Prepare for the Unexpected makes use of a thought-provoking film that highlights the hazards on country roads that can turn a familiar journey into a potentially fatal one.
Ms Scott, from Torphins, said: “My son’s death was entirely preventable and I hope his story will serve to highlight just how dangerous it is to drive too fast on a country road.
“I’d urge everyone to think about the choices they are making both when they get behind the wheel and into the passenger seat.”
Country routes account for 60% of casualties on Scotland’s roads, with latest figures showing that over 7,002 people were killed or seriously injured while driving on such roads in 2018.
Two-thirds of those killed were men, with 40% of all drivers killed or seriously injured on country roads aged between 22 and 49.
Cabinet secretary for transport, infrastructure and connectivity, Michael Matheson, said: “This campaign shows how grave the consequences can be if you choose to exceed the speed limit.
“We’d urge drivers across Scotland to consider this at all times, no matter how well they think they know the road.”
Ms Scott, who has spoken at a number of road safety events in the north-east, added: “Mark’s death was of course unintentional, but that doesn’t make it any easier for his family.
“If more people behave appropriately when driving on country roads, there will be less stories like Mark’s to tell and that can only be a good thing.”
The campaign’s film can be viewed at roadsafety.scot/topics/country-road-driving.
