§ Mr. Malcolm BruceTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) how many accidents involving death or injury have occurred per vehicle mile on the A74 for each year since 1980;
(2) how many accidents involving death and injury have occurred per vehicle mile on the A96 for each year since 1980.
§ Lord James Douglas-Hamilton[holding answer 10 January 1989]: The accident rate is expressed as the number of injury (including fatal) accidents per million vehicle kilometers. The figures for the A74 trunk (south) and the A96 trunk in each year since 1982 are as follows:
A74 trunk (south) A96 trunk 1982 0.156 0.517 1983 0.135 0.523 1984 0.145 0.484 1985 0.125 0.442 1986 0.144 0.432 1987 0.135 0.453 In comparing these figures it should be remembered that the A74 is a dual carriageway and the A96 is an almost entirely single carriageway road. The annual traffic levels are estimates based on limited samples and are subject to a fairly wide margin of error. The A74 trunk (south) is south of the M74. Accident rates are not available for 1980 and 1981 or for other parts of the A74 and A96.
§ Mr. BruceTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) how many people have been (a) killed and (b) injured on the A74 for each year since 1980;
(2) how many people have been (a) killed and (b) injured on the A96 for each year since 1980.
§ Lord James Douglas-Hamilton[holding answer 10 January]The information requested, along with additional information to clarify this answer and answers to related questions, is as follows.
566W
A74 trunk (north) A74 trunk (south) A74 total A96 trunk A96 total (a) Number of fatal casualties 1980 — 4 8 19 21 1981 — 12 17 14 15 1982 — 11 15 15 16 1983 — 11 13 11 12 1984 1 7 14 5 6 1985 1 10 18 12 14 1986 — 18 23 15 15 1987 — 17 19 8 9 (b) Number of serious and slight casualties 1980 26 184 312 334 388 1981 21 126 261 325 379 1982 23 137 298 349 411 1983 30 130 271 339 380 1984 21 148 281 330 389 1985 30 146 321 295 332 1986 38 188 305 320 372 1987 53 164 271 289 326 The A74 trunk (north), length 5.3 km, is north of the M74; and the A74 trunk (south), length 93 km, is south of the M74. The A74 and A96 totals include non-trunk sections of road. In comparing the figures for the A74 and A96, it should be remembered that the A74 is a dual carriageway and the A96 is a 166 km, almost entirely single carriageway, road.