 The AA said road safety in Scotland is improving |
Changing attitudes to drink-driving and compulsory seatbelt wearing have saved thousands of lives on Scotland's roads, according to a report. The AA Motoring Trust studied accident figures from 850 UK roads and found three of the top 15 most improved roads were in Scotland.
They were the A80 at Moodiesburn, the A82 Erskine Bridge to Balloch and the A71 Kilmarnock to M74 stretch of road.
Accident rates on the roads fell by up to a 55% between 2001 and 2003.
AA spokesman Neil Greig said great strides had been made in tackling dangerous roads and making motorists safer.
 |  Big wins in road safety, such as compulsory seatbelt wearing or changing attitudes to drink-driving have saved thousands of lives |
About 70% of road deaths in Scotland over the period studied occurred outside built-up areas, mostly on single carriageway roads, compared to a UK average of 60%.
There were 43 serious or fatal collisions on the A811 Stirling to Balloch road, 29 on the A84 Stirling to Lochearnhead and 18 on the A70 Cumnock to Ayr roads.
The AA report said dangerous roads had been "transformed" by speed cameras and limits, lighting, resurfacing, signs and traffic lights.
Mr Greig said: "Our analysis highlights where resources can be targeted to save most lives.
"Big wins in road safety, such as compulsory seatbelt wearing or changing attitudes to drink-driving, have saved thousands of lives.
"The report shows how simple road-engineering solutions, together with speed compliance technology on unforgiving roads, could slash the death toll."
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