Data recently published by Transport Scotland in 2024 showed a 12% rise in fatal collisions in Scotland compared to 2023. Further, on a per capita basis, the car user fatality rate in Scotland was 32% higher than England and Wales in 2024, accounting for 73 of the 161 deaths. While the figures remain below pre-pandemic levels, the increase is a stark reminder that road safety remains a pressing public policy and economic issue, particularly for rural Scotland.
Since the 1980s, the number of fatal road traffic collisions has largely followed a downward trend. Legislative changes played a significant role in that decline, including the introduction of roadside breath testing, compulsory front seatbelt use and revised licensing requirements for learner motorcyclists. Fatalities continued to fall throughout the 2010s and into the early 2020s. Despite lower levels of fatalities recorded during the pandemic, there continues to be concern over the substantial number of people killed in fatal collisions, especially given the advancement in car safety technology.
Scotland’s Road Safety Framework aims to reduce road deaths by 50% by 2030 and identifies a range of contributory factors, including young drivers, road users aged 65 and over, motorcyclists, seatbelt use, drink and drug driving, mobile phone distraction, fatigue, and an increase in foreign drivers. Despite commitments by the Scottish Government to increase spending on road maintenance, the condition of our roads was not one of the top causes of collisions in 2024. Instead, most incidents were attributed to distraction or impairment, excessive speed, and driver behaviour or inexperience. As a result, the Framework recommends optimising enforcement measures to encourage good road user behaviour, focus on speed, wearing of seatbelts, and driving unimpaired by drugs or alcohol.
Young people aged 16-22 remain disproportionately affected in car user and motorcycle fatalities, mirroring England and Wales. The Department for Transport is currently reviewing a proposal that learner drivers should wait a minimum of six months before they can book their practical test in an effort to improve driving skills and experience. Beyond that, the AA had suggested that new drivers aged under 21 should have to wait six months after their test before being allowed to carry passengers of a similar age. However, despite accidents in this age group often claiming the lives of equally young passengers, and calls from victim groups, it does not appear that the AA’s recommendation regarding passengers is to be adopted.
At the other end of the age spectrum, the UK Government is consulting on introducing mandatory eyesight tests for drivers over 70 years old and looking for cognitive testing options for older drivers. As this is likely to be administered by the DVLA, a UK wide agency, it is possible that this will affect Scotland as well as England and Wales.
Rural Scotland faces particular pressures. The Highlands recorded the highest number of fatal collisions in 2024, closely followed by Aberdeenshire. The Highlands has always attracted high numbers of visitors and the introduction in 2015 of the North Coast 500 has increased foreign tourism to this area and delivered economic benefits. However, this has also placed additional pressure on the roads and transport infrastructure. Overseas drivers unfamiliar with the imperial system or "drive on the left" rules can lead to confusion and difficulty understanding and interpreting road signs. A “drive on the left” campaign has been running in the Highlands to assist foreign drivers although further measures may be needed.
The long-term consequences of injuries following a collision are often determined by how quickly medical assistance is provided. The Framework references post-crash response as a further issue to be addressed. In a rural location or at a location with little passing traffic response times can be increased, inevitably leading to worse outcomes.
Beyond the human cost, road collisions also carry economic implications. Disruption to supply chains, increased insurance costs, workforce absence, and pressure on emergency services all have consequences for businesses, particularly in regions where road transport is essential to connectivity.
While the 2024 statistics make for difficult reading, it is to be hoped that the long-term downward trajectory continues, and that the Framework assists in encouraging safer driving on Scottish roads.
The UK Government’s Road Safety Strategy was announced in January 2026 and you can read more about the implications for the industry here.
Thank you to Rachel Heathcote, Senior Associate, for creating this article.
