Council exceeds road safety improvement targets

Highland Councillors have welcomed a report that highlights that the area is exceeding the improvement targets set by the UK Government to reduce the number of fatal and serious casualties.

And the reduction in fatal and serious casualties and fatal and serious child casualties exceeds the Scottish average.

Over the past 10 years, the Council had reduced the number of fatal and serious road casualties by 54% - 14% above the target and 5% above the Scottish average.

The number of fatal and serious child casualties has reduced by 80% - 30% above the target reduction and 11% above the Scottish average.

The slight casualty rate has reduced by 23% - 13% above the target reduction but 14% below the Scottish average.

The number of drivers aged 17-25 involved in injury accidents has also reduced.

In meeting future targets, the Council serves on the Highland Road Safety Working Group, which comprises the main partner agencies in the Highlands.

Councillor John Laing, Chairman of the Transport Environmental and Community Services, said: “These statistics are very encouraging and I am confident the inter-agency road safety working group will maintain the progress of the last decade.”