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 estimates¹ showed that car traffic increased by 6% and motorcycle/moped traffic increased by 3% between 2014 and 2018.

6.2 As outlined in section 2.4, the number of serious and slight casualties cannot be directly compared to previously recorded figures due to changes in severity reporting. We will have adjusted figures, broken down by mode, available for inclusion in Reported Road Casualties, which is due to be published later in the year.

6.3 In 2019 there were 4,557 car users reported injured in road accidents; three-fifths of all road casualties (60%: 4,557 out of 7,594) and a 10% fall from 2018. Of these, 78 were killed, an increase of 4% from 2018, and 932 seriously injured.

6.4 There were 1,243 pedestrian casualties recorded in 2019, a sixth of all casualties (16%: 1,243 out of 7,594) and down by 13 (1%) since 2018. Four per cent of pedestrian casualties were killed (46 out of 1,243) and 39% seriously injured (482 out of 1,243). Ninety-five per cent of pedestrian casualties occurred on built-up roads (1,180 out of 1,243).

6.5 Together, all other modes of transport accounted for almost a quarter (24%) of casualties in 2019 (1,794 out of 7,594) and for a slightly higher proportion of those killed (26%: 44 out of 168) and under a third of those seriously injured (29%: 587 out of 2,001).

6.6 Pedal cycle casualty numbers in 2019 decreased by 12% and motorcycle casualties decreased by 19%. In 2019, 519 motorcycle casualties were reported, of whom 279 (54%) suffered serious injuries and 25 died, a decrease of 8 fatalities on 2018. There were 564 pedal cyclist casualties recorded in 2019, 8 died (two fatalities more than in 2018). There are now more cyclists on the roads, which will likely impact on cycling casualty numbers. There was an increase of 15% in pedal cycle traffic in the last ten years according to traffic estimates provided by DfT^[1].

6.6 A total of 195 bus and coach users were reported injured (a decrease of 15% on 2018), of whom 23 were seriously injured, three died.