Fatal accidents on a major trunk road controlled by average speed cameras have been reduced by 46%, it emerged yesterday.
Transport Minister Keith Brown released the figures to illustrate why he believed the equipment would improve safety on the A9 – Scotland’s most notorious road.
He said statistics also showed that the system, which has been in operation on the A77 between Bogend Toll and Ardwell Bay road in Ayrshire since 2005, also contributed to a 35% reduction in serious injury accidents.
Figures showed the number of fatal accidents on the A77 fell from 13 between 2002-05 to seven between 2005-08 – a 46% decrease.
Over the period in question, the number of serious injury accidents decreased from 52 to 34 – a 35% fall.
Mr Brown said the A9 Safety Group believed cameras, in combination with more police patrols, improved road markings and an overtaking safety campaign, would have a “positive effect” on road safety.
Official figures showed 12,211 speeding offences were committed on the A9 between Dunblane and Inverness in 2012.
The SNP MSP said the equipment would make the road safer “ahead of and during the dualling of the route” between Inverness and Perth.
Mr Brown spoke out after being challenged by Highland Liberal Democrat MP Danny Alexander who is not convinced of the case to instal 100 cameras at 40 locations along the A9.
The politician, who is chief secretary to the Treasury, said it was not clear how cameras would limit dangerous driving often displayed by “frustrated drivers caught in long queues of lorries and tankers” – a problem he claims can only be relieved by dual carriageways.
Mr Alexander said his government had allocated £1.1billion in extra funding for infrastructure projects to SNP ministers over the last 18 months.
“The real fear is that increased frustration will result in drivers taking more risks on an already dangerous road,” he added.
“The best answer for the Highlands would be to drop the plan for average speed cameras along the entire length of the road, and accelerate investment instead.”
Labour and Conservative MSPs and road users have also raised concerns that cameras would not make the road safer and the number of accidents could increase.
Mr Brown claimed the Liberal Democrats, which controlled the Scottish Executive along with Labour between 1999-2007, had “let down” the Highlands for taking no action on the A9.
He added that the A9 Safety Group studied the road in detail before concluding cameras should be installed and operational by next summer.