Murdo Fraser says he suffered “multiple fractures” and spent weeks recovering in hospital after a head-on crash on “Scotland’s most dangerous road”.
The Scottish Conservative MSP recounted his own harrowing tale as he called on the SNP Government to ramp up progress towards dualling the A9 between Perth and Inverness.
In the past year alone 12 people have died on the A9, the highest death toll on the road for over a decade.
‘I was one of the lucky ones’
Mr Fraser said: “It’s an issue that matters to me personally.
“In 1990, I was involved in a head-on collision on the A9 single carriageway near Carrbridge.
“I suffered multiple fractures and spent weeks in hospital.
“I was one of the lucky ones, I survived – others have not been so fortunate.”
He added: “Too many people have died on the A9 single carriageways.
“They are dying this year and they will continue to die.”
‘Keep the promise’
The Scottish Conservatives said the families of those killed “deserve nothing less” than for the government to keep its promise to dual the A9 between the two cities by 2025.
Transport Minister Jenny Gilruth promised the government remains committed to this promise.
This year has been one of the worst on record for fatalities on the A9 between Perth and Inverness.
SNP MSP for Inverness and Nairn, Fergus Ewing, dubbed the year Scotland’s “annus horribilis”, which is a Latin phrase meaning “horrible year”.
In October, 64-year-old George Norris was killed after a collision with two others near Kingussie and a further man and a women died after their car collided with a lorry near Birnam.
In September there were three fatal crashes at Slochd, Dunkeld and Carrbridge.
Three Americans from the same family died after colliding with a lorry near Newtonmore in August.
In July, 68-year-old David McPherson, his 64-year-old wife Elza and their two-year-old grandson died after a crash as Slochd summit.
‘Progress has been painfully slow’
Only 12.5 miles of road has been dualled on the A9 since the SNP first committed to the proposals 11 years ago.
Mr Ewing said his own party needs to progress with the plans to dual the road “as swiftly as possible”.
He wants his colleagues to publish a revised timetable on when the A9 and the A96 between Inverness and Aberdeen will be completed.
Mr Fraser added: “Progress has been painfully slow.
“The involvement of the anti-road Greens in government has added to that concern.
“I am regularly contacted by constituents who live on or close to the A9 wanting clarity on the route.
“This is particularly the case in communities like Dunkeld and Birnam where the A9 passes very close to people’s homes and businesses.
“What we need is clarity as to when dualling will take place and we need it soon.”
In response the transport minister said: “This government remains committed to investing in the A9, including dualling the A9 between Perth and Inverness.”
She added she will be chairing a meeting of the A9 safety group in Pitlochry on Friday 4 November and will look at what short-term interventions can be taken between now and the end of the dualling project.
