Transport Scotland confirmed a perceived increase in the number of deaths on the A82 discussed by councillors may not be based on facts it holds.
At the last meeting of the Lochaber area committee of Highland councillors it raised concerns about the number of accidents on the road in and around Lochaber. However Transport Scotland says that while one death is too many there have been no deaths on the road since 2016.
The minute of the area committee reads: “Considerable effort had been made to educate local motor cyclists on potential dangers but many of those involved in accidents lived outwith Highland and it was questioned how best this group could be reached.”
It continues: “The popularity of the North Coast 500 was well recognised but it was questioned if this had also had an impact on the number of road accidents in Lochaber with tourists choosing to explore other routes.”
However, in a response to a question posed by the Press and Journal a Transport Scotland spokesperson confirmed the last recorded deaths on the A82 were in 2016.
A death at a cycling event last weekend in Fort William was described as a “medical death” by a police spokesman.
A spokesman for Transport Scotland continued: “Road safety is of paramount importance to the Scottish Government. We assess the safety performance of the trunk road network on an annual basis which includes the A82.
“The latest statistics show that casualties on Scotland’s roads are at the lowest levels since records began. This is of little consolation to friends and relatives of people who have tragically died on our road network. But we want to go further and realise ‘Vision Zero’ to ensure that no one is killed on Scotland’s roads.
“Through continued education, engineering and appropriate enforcement by partners, we can bring about a revolution in road safety that we are determined to achieve as we continue to work towards the objectives set out in Scotland’s Road Safety Framework to 2020.”