Key findings
Key findings
- There were 5,023 road casualties reported in 2021. Of these, there were 139 fatalities, 1,596 people were seriously injured and 3,288 people were slightly injured.
- The total casualty figures and fatality figures for 2021 are the lowest since records began. However, they are broadly similar to the previous lows recorded in 2020.
- Like the figures for 2020, the 2021 casualty numbers will be affected by the Covid-19 pandemic and the associated changes in travel.
Most notably, this included the 'second lockdown', which ran from 5 January 2021 to April 2021, and incorporated a legal requirement forbidding anyone from leaving their home except for essential purposes.
- The number of fatalities decreased by 2, from 141 in 2020 to 139 in 2021. This latest drop follows on from a long-term downward trend. Since 2000, the number of people killed decreased by 57%, and in the last decade the number decreased by 21%.
- Car users had the highest number of casualties in 2021 (2,862), followed by pedestrians (758) and pedal cyclists (500).
- Compared to last year, pedestrian casualties decreased by 7% and pedal cyclists by 18%. However, car casualties increased by 3% and motorcyclists by 8%
- Scotland's latest road safety framework includes 4 national casualty reduction targets due for delivery in 2030 (Table 1). These compare performance against a 2014-2018 baseline period.
| Target | 2030 target reduction | 2021 reduction achieved |
|---|---|---|
| People killed | 50% | 20% |
| People seriously injured | 50% | 45% |
| Children (aged < 16) killed | 60% | 23% |
| Children (aged < 16) seriously injured | 60% | 50% |
Statistics in this publication are provisional. Final figures will be published in Reported Road Casualties Scotland in October 2022. Figures may change as a result of late returns and amendments to the data. These changes are likely to be small.