Police are appealing to motorists to slow down

During last year's drive, a total of 1,644 drivers were detected speeding in the 24-hour period - an average of one every minute.

The Foolsspeed offensive is being run by all eight police forces and the Scottish Road Safety Campaign.

Lothian and Borders Police Assistant Chief Constable Charles Michie called on motorists to slow down.

He said: "Sudden and violent death and horrific injury is a daily reality on Scotland's roads and is totally unacceptable to any right-minded person.

SPEEDING STATISTICS 70% of drivers regularly break the 30mph limit by more than 5mph A pedestrian struck by a car at 35mph is twice as likely to die as a person being struck at 30mph Over half of all road crashes happen on urban roads with a maximum speed limit of 30mph

"Excessive and inappropriate driving speeds are a major cause of these daily personal tragedies.

"We want motorists to show that they can make a real difference."

Mr Michie said motorists should stop and think about the friends and relatives of those who have had their lives ruined because their loved ones have died on Scotland's roads.

"The encouraging news is that fatal and serious injury numbers have consistently fallen over the last few decades in Scotland," he said.

"This can be put down to several factors including improved car safety design, traffic calming measures, road safety cameras, traffic campaigns and better medical care.

"However, the success of any road safety campaign most importantly relies on the support of the public and motorists to drive in a safe, responsible, and courteous manner."

He added: "Motorists should also heed our message that it is important to drive at an appropriate speed. It's not just about observing the speed limit.

"There are many roads and many circumstances, such as near to schools, shopping areas and playgrounds, where driving at the legal speed limit may be inappropriate and unsafe."