A9 accidents and deaths plummet in recent years

From Transport Scotland – Total number of collisions on the A9 between Perth and Inverness: EIR release published today, the above figures for the five years from 2012/2022 to 2025/2026 (2 February).

Barring any tragic events in March 2026, the results reveal a dramatic reduction for two years in a row, from 2023/2024. The overall fall in the last two years of around one-third, 33% and by three-quarters, 75%, in fatal incidents from 2022/2023.

This data covers personal injury accidents from the A9 Perth to Inverness ( Inveralmond Roundabout to Longman Roundabout, not including roundabouts.

Source: https://www.gov.scot/publications/foi-202600504907/

BBC Scotland is not reporting this but were keen to do so in 2022 with Crash deaths on notorious section of the A9 reach 20-year high: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-63835914?source=pepperjam&publisherId=120349

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10 thoughts on “A9 accidents and deaths plummet in recent years”

  2. Maybe so, but having been up and down the lower half of the A9 this week it’s no fun with 40 mph speed limits (30 mph if they’re working on laybys or former laybys), it’s harder to be positive about this.

    Road signs saying (in spring 2026) “expect delays till winter 2028/2029” …

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    1. ‘… it’s no fun with 40 mph speed limits (30 mph if they’re working on laybys or former laybys)’

      I travelled from Perth to Inverness and back to Perth a week or so ago. It may or may not be taking too long to dual the A9 – depending on one’s priorities for public spending over the past c. 10 years – but the scale of construction works going on now to dual the road is IMHO mightily impressive.

      My take? I’d suggest it’s hard not to be positive about this!

      Candidly, despite being a week day with substantial freight traffic, the return journey was straightforward apart from a couple of hold-ups, one due to traffic congestion and one clearly due to the new road construction.

      (Anyone know how many miles of new or substantially upgraded trunk roads, located where, have been build in Scotland since the SNP came to power? Perhaps I should ask an AI assistant? )

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  3. The Scottish Government originally promised to dual the entire 80-mile (129 km) single-carriageway section of the A9 between Perth and Inverness by 2025. This pledge was formally confirmed in December 2011.

    With hindsight, a stupid thing to promise.

    Why do some of our politicians do this? Are they set up by civil servants or duplicitous advisers?

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    1. Your last sentence is probably correct. Also where would the money come from? England has cut Scotland’s budget massively and of course Brexit he as impacted the Scottish economy…

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  4. Read, Deep Fried Hillman Imp, 2001, Argyll publishing, it’s not pro SNP but is a look into the history of appalling neglect of transport in Scotland..I mean roads in the Highlands were only built to move sheep around for the rich English land thieves…why build roads to transport people or goods and services around your colony!
    Also see national library of Scotland moving image archive for a look into the neglect of Scottish roads etc…oh and remember it was ONLY THE SNP who made sure the new firth of forth NEW road bridge was er built, otherwise yous would all be going fifty plus miles out of your way to cross the river firth now…not to mention new borders rail to Galashiels!
    Be careful what you complain about folks,let people know just how terrible infrastructure etc was under English rule and will be should any English parties take full control of Scotland again….well it would be on your bikes!!
    I feel a chill just thinking about it.

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  5. The average speed cameras were placed on the A9 in 2014 and made an almost immediate impact on the accident rates on that road. Accidents on the A9 were almost daily features in News bulletins.

    The design of the road with its alternating sections of dual carriageway and two lane road came in for a lot of criticism. But that design was in some ways dictated by the terrain it had to pass through. And for those of us who had experience of the road it replaced it was a huge improvement. There are still sections of the old road left if you want to see for yourself. If I remember correctly one such section runs from Pitlochry to Killicrankie. A narrow road that zigzags back and forth under the railway.

    The cameras were a response to the realisation that dualling the A9 would not be an easy or speedy job. Thus to reduce the accident rate the cameras were installed. Some of the sections that will eventually be dualled are long bends round a mountain on one side and a steep slope on the other side so not much space to work with and time consuming to dual.

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  6. Historically the roads and railways in Scotland were neglected by Westminster for years. They built from London first. Total congestion.

    The SNP had a lot to catch up on. They built the Queensferry Bridge, had to sort out the Trams, built the Borders railway. After 40 years built the AWPR. Duelled roads saving lives and accidents every week.

    All the Oil revenues and money went South. To construct Canary Wharf, home of the bankers who fund the Tory Party. Tilbury Docks 26 miles of Dock constructed in London. 1/3 biggest port in the UK. Other ports around the UK missed out on trade and production.

    Instead of improving Scotlands railways. Electrifying to improve journey times in Scotland. Westminster Tory unionists decided to waste £Billions on HS2.

    Improving Scotland rail times would improve journey times in the UK. North to South. Rivalling flight times. Less flights would have saved resources and the need for another runway at Heathrow. Saving more £Billions.

    Westminster wasting £Billions on Hinkley Point. Years late and over budget. Financed by Chinese. Westminster refused permission for £1.5Billion investment for renewables (turbines) in Scotland because it was to be funded by Chinese. Took £Billions loan from the Chinese to fund Hickley Point and HS2. Years late and over budgets. Scotland has to pay it back.

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