Key 2007 Road Accident Statistics

8. Progress towards the casualty reduction targets for 2010 (Tables 5-7)

Target: 40% reduction in those killed or seriously injured by 2010

8.1 There were 2,598 people killed or seriously injured in 2007, 46% below the 1994-98 baseline average level: a larger reduction than target above. Section 10.5 shows the relevant "indicative line" figure for 2007 (the reduction so far needed to achieve the 2010 target by means of a constant annual percentage reduction) is 33.1% below the 1994-98 baseline average. Table 5 shows that the percentage fall from the 1994-98 average number of killed or seriously injured ( KSI) casualties is more than this for all modes of transport except motorcycles. Indeed in several cases, the falls are greater than 50%.

Table 5: Killed and seriously injured casualties by mode of transport, 1994 - 2007

1. Light goods vehicles and heavy goods vehicles.
2. Taxis, minibuses and other modes of transport.

8.2 Around half of the 2,598 KSI casualties reported in 2007 were car users. The 2007 figure of car KSI casualties (1,237) was 51% below the 1994-98 average, and therefore exceeded the 2010 target. There were 640 pedestrianKSI casualties reported in 2007, 53% fewer than the 1994-98 average: again exceeding the reduction set out in the target. However, the number of motorcycleKSI casualties recorded in 2007 was 404, an increase of 14% from the 1994-98 average: this was the only category of road user for which the figure in 2007 was above the indicative line. The reported numbers of KSI casualties were smaller for each of the remaining categories of road user ( pedal cyclists: 149; goods vehicle users: 101; bus/coach users: 33; and others: 34).

Target: 50% reduction in children killed or seriously injured by 2010

8.3 There were 271 children killed or seriously injured in 2007, 68% below the 1994-98 average and a larger reduction than the 2010 target above. Table 6 shows that, in 2007, the figures for child pedestrians, pedal cyclists and car users were all below (and therefore better than) the target for 2010. The figures for the other modes of transport are very small.

8.4 About two-thirds of the 271 child killed or seriously injured ( KSI) casualties recorded in 2007 were pedestrians. The number of child pedestrian KSI casualties reported in 2007 was 179, 68% below the 1994-98 average, a larger reduction than the 2010 target of 50%. There were 55 child carKSI casualties recorded in 2007, a fall of 62% from the 1994-98 average, again exceeding the reduction set out in the target. The number of child pedal cycle KSI casualties reported in 2007 was 71% below the 1994-98 average, also better than the target. As there are few child KSI casualties for other modes of transport, small fluctuations in their numbers can cause apparently large percentage changes which are therefore not shown in Table 6.

Table 6: Child killed and seriously injured casualties by mode of transport, 1994 - 2007

1. Light goods vehicles and heavy goods vehicles.
2. Taxis, minibuses and other modes of transport.

Target: 10% reduction in slight casualties by 2010 (per 100 million vehicle kilometres)

8.5 Table 7 shows that the 2006 slight casualty rate was 32.64 casualties per 100 million vehicle kilometres (As 2006 is the latest year for which there is an estimate of the total volume of traffic for Scotland as a whole). This was 30% below the 1994-98 baseline average and exceeds the 2010 target.

8.6 Around two-thirds of slight casualties reported in 2007 were car users. The total number of car user slight casualties recorded in 2007 was 8,716, 20% below the 1994-98 average. There were 2,042 pedestrian slight casualties reported, 32% less than the 1994-98 average. Bus and coach user slight casualties totalled 583 in 2007, 36% fewer than the 1994-98 average, the recorded number of pedal cyclist slight casualties (557) was 46% below the baseline average, and reported goods vehicle user slight casualties (498) were 15% fewer than the baseline average. However, recorded motorcyclist slight casualties (635 in 2007) were 10% above the 1994-98 average.

Table 7: Slight casualties by mode of transport, 1994 - 2007

1. Light goods vehicles and heavy goods vehicles.
2. Taxis, minibuses and other modes of transport.