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More cyclists being injured or killed in Scotland

The Scottish Government has pledged more support and training for cyclists.
The Scottish Government has pledged more support and training for cyclists.

Road casualties have dropped to their lowest recorded level but more cyclists are being injured or killed.

The number of deaths, injuries and child casualties all fell last year, according to government agency Transport Scotland.

Overall, the number of casualties on roads dropped 1% and deaths fell 6% compared with 2011.

But the number of casualties among cyclists rose 9% to 901, serious injuries were up 7% to 167 and the number of deaths increased by two to nine.

Transport Minister Keith Brown pledged to improve cycling infrastructure, training and road safety to tackle the problem.

“We have achieved a lot but there is still work to do, particularly in respect of safety issues for cyclists, pedestrians and motorcyclists,” he said.

“The Scottish Government has invested over £58 million in cycling infrastructure, cycle training and road safety messages. We will continue to work with our road safety partners to try to enable cyclists to use Scotland’s roads safety.”

Mr Brown added: “We will encourage training and support for motorcyclists through advanced rider training schemes, and continue to target motorcyclists with appropriate road safety messages. We would also encourage other road users to pay particular attention to the vulnerability and needs of pedestrians.”

Superintendent Iain Murray, head of road policing at Police Scotland, said the overall figures are encouraging.

“It is heartening to see such significant reductions in statistics but it is important to recognise the tragedy that still lies behind the numbers,” he said.

“There is still a lot of work to be done. Reducing road casualties and fatalities is one of the ‘five golden threads’ of policing in Scotland and, as such, every officer is now focused on improving road safety in our communities.”