6. Casualties by Mode of Transport (Table 3)

6. Casualties by Mode of Transport (Table 3)

6.1 Figures on numbers of casualties by mode should be compared with data on mode use since changes could be due to more or fewer people travelling by a particular mode. Information on mode use is published in the road traffic or personal travel sections of Scottish Transport Statistics (STS). Department for Transport (DfT) traffic estimates in STS showed that car traffic increased by 5% and motorcycle/moped traffic volume remained unchanged between 2012 and 2016. Over the same period cycling volumes increased by 14%. Latest Scottish data by mode covers 2016, data for 2017 will be published in August 2018 in Transport and Travel in Scotland 2017.

6.2 In 2017 there were 5,685 car users reported injured in road accidents; three fifths of all road casualties (61%: 5,685 out of 9,391) and a 15% fall from 2016. Of these, 65 were killed and 662 seriously injured (decreases of 13% and 15% from 2016 respectively). Non built-up roads accounted for half of all car user casualties (50%: 2,866 out of 5,685) but a much higher percentage of car user fatalities (89%: 58 out of 65) and those seriously injured (71%: 472 out of 662). Again, this is likely due in part to higher average speeds on these types of roads.

6.3 There were 1,350 pedestrian casualties recorded in 2017, a seventh of all casualties (14%: 1,350 out of 9,391) and down by 317 (19%) since 2016. Three per cent of pedestrian casualties were killed (38 out of 1,350) and 27% seriously injured (370 out of 1,350). Ninety-five per cent of pedestrian casualties occurred on built-up roads (1,286 out of 1,350). Fifty-three per cent of pedestrian casualties on non built-up roads were killed or seriously injured (34 out of 64) compared with 29% on built-up roads (374 out of 1,286).

6.4 Together, all other modes of transport accounted for a quarter (25%) of casualties in 2017 (2,356 out of 9,391), for a slightly higher proportion of those killed (29%: 43 out of 146) and a third of those seriously injured (35%: 548 out of 1,580).

6.5 Motorcycle and pedal cycle casualty numbers in 2017 decreased by 13% and 8% respectively. In 2017, 618 motorcycle casualties were reported, of whom 280 (45% and an increase of 4% on 2016) suffered serious injuries, 29 died, a decrease of one on 2016. There were 729 pedal cyclist casualties recorded in 2017, 171 (23% and an increase of 16% on 2016) were seriously injured and 5 died (three less than in 2016).There are now more cyclists on the roads which will likely impact on cycling casualty numbers. There was an increase of 35% in pedal cycle traffic in the last ten years, as shown by the DfT traffic estimates published in Scottish Transport Statistics

6.6 A total of 355 bus and coach users were reported injured (an increase of 18% on 2016), of whom 23 (19 less than 2016) were seriously injured, two died.