Experts advise on road death rise
Deaths rose but there was a fall in the number of serious injuries
An expert panel will be brought in to advise the government on safety following an increase in the number of people killed on Scotland's roads.
Transport minister Stewart Stevenson expressed disappointment after official figures showed a 10% rise in deaths last year, compared to 2005.
He said the panel would be drawn from across Scotland and would form part of a 10-year safety improvement vision.
A total of 314 people died in 2006, 28 more than the previous year.
2006 ROAD DEATHS BY POLICE FORCE AREA
Strathclyde - 96
Grampian - 62
Lothian and Borders - 42
Northern - 30
Dumfries and Galloway - 25
Tayside - 21
Fife - 19
Central - 19
There were also 14 more child deaths, according to the Scottish Executive statistics.
Mr Stevenson said he hoped the figures would serve as a wake-up call to drivers who put lives at risk.
"We must ingrain a deeper understanding of road safety and develop a more responsible attitude among young people," he added.
"We have the chance to shape their behaviour before they even step into a vehicle."
The new panel will bring together police, driving experts, road safety organisations and the children's commissioner.
The government has also decided to roll out a programme to help primary pupils learn about road safety.
Despite the rise in deaths last year, there has been a longer-term overall downward trend in road accident fatalities, while the latest figures also revealed there had been a drop in the number of people seriously injured and "slightly injured".
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/6744179.stm
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