The number of people killed and injured on Dundee’s roads continues to drop and progress is being made towards a further reduction by 2020.
New figures revealed by Dundee City Council show that casualty figures are reducing towards “ambitious” Scottish Government targets.
To continue progress councillors are being asked to approve £150,000 of new road safety measures at locations across the city, and the implementation of two 20mph zones that are currently advisory.
Alan Ross convener of Dundee City Council’s city development committee said: “The number of accidents in which people are killed and injured on the local roads network in Dundee continues to fall, but the figures only tell part of the story.
“Unfortunately in the past year one person was killed and 23 were seriously injured on our roads and behind each one of these numbers is a human tragedy.
“Bringing in measures that are proven to improve road safety are therefore a vital part of our work.
“What we have been doing is helping to protect people from serious injury and death and we will keep doing it until our roads are as safe as they can possibly be.”
In June 2009 the Scottish Government set national road accident casualty reduction targets for 2020 underpinned by a national road safety framework. Interim targets were also set for 2015.
When compared with the figures for the period 2004 to 2008 Dundee has reduced fatalities by 44% against a 2020 target of 40%.
The percentage of people seriously injured over the same period has been reduced by
59%, against a 55% reduction sought by the Scottish Government.
No children were killed on the local road network in Dundee between the baseline years of 2004 and 2008 and 2009 to 2015.
Cllr Ross added: “The Scottish Government’s targets are ambitious and to achieve them we will need significant commitment and resources from all of our partners.
“We remain committed to improving road safety for all residents and visitors to the city.”
A dozen sites have been identified for improvement work in the coming year and on-going accident investigations may identify additional locations. The most effective and appropriate measures will be decided after detailed design work.
Arbroath Road at Claypotts Road
Lochee Road at Cleghorn Street/Rankine Street
South Road between Gray Street and A923
Meadowside at Panmure Street
Ward Road at North Lindsay Street
Albert Street near Lyon
Arklay Street at Tannadice Street
Drumgeith Road at Ballumbie Road
City Road, Blyth Street to Scott Street
Strathern Road at Fairfield Road
Whitfield Drive at Whitfield Gardens
Dock Street near Castle Street
Road safety statistics and the improvement measures will be discussed by the council’s city development committee on Monday (September 9).
Dundee City Council
Dundee draws skilled workers from a 60-minute catchment population of 640,000 and has a local population of over 140,000. The availability of a large pool of highly skilled labour is a key feature in the Dundee economy. Flexibility in the labour force is currently more prevalent in Dundee than in Scotland as a whole. All forms of labour market flexibility - part-time, temporary employment, self-employment and shift work - are widely operational within the city. Labour force stability in the city is excellent, enabling companies to plan with confidence. Labour turnover levels are less than 5% and absenteeism averages 2%.
