A new report from Scotland’s police watchdog has linked a reduction in police activity to an ongoing rise in serious road casualties in the country.
His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary in Scotland noted that the total number of people killed or injured (KSI) on Scotland’s roads has increased each year since 2020 and that fatalities for 2024 are already 26% higher than at the same time last year.
It identified a reduction in police activity targeting the most common causes of fatal crashes as a key factor.
The report states that police enforcement activity targeting speeding and drink or drug driving can help reduce casualties and that road policing officers also play a crucial role in disrupting serious and organised crime.
‘However, since the creation of Police Scotland in April 2013 latest data shows there has been a 63 per cent drop in the number of road traffic offences being detected and recorded.’
The report made 13 recommendations for improvement, including that Police Scotland should review its commitment to and investment in its road policing function, to ensure it is effectively supporting Scotland’s Road Safety Framework and that road crime is being actively addressed.
Chief Inspector of Constabulary in Scotland Craig Naylor said: ‘It has now sadly become an all too regular occurrence to read about another death on Scotland’s roads. It appears there is a societal acceptance around such tragedies, but it is utterly unacceptable and almost every death is preventable.
‘The recent increases in road casualties are complex, and there is no single factor that has caused this trend. However, we are concerned that at a time when casualties are increasing, Police Scotland has decreased rather than increased its enforcement activity in this high-priority area.’
The report praised the ‘dedication and professionalism’ of Scotland’s road policing officers and said Police Scotland had a good leadership and governance structure for road policing but said the drop in overall officer numbers was a factor impacting its ability to achieve its road safety goals.
The latest figures show police officer numbers in Scotland fell from 17,431 in March 2020 to 16,425 in October this year, with road policing officers currently making up 3.5%.
Chief Superintendant Hilary Sloan, Police Scotland's head of road policing, said the force was already striving to meet some of the report’s recommendations.
