Some 1,933 people were either killed or seriously injured on Scotland's roads last year.
It amounts to a 17 per cent rise from 2021 when there were 1,647 serious casualties.
According to newly released provisional Transport Scotland data, 174 people were killed in reported road collisions in Scotland in 2022, 33 more than in 2021, and the highest number since 2016.
The number of people seriously injured was 1,759, 145 (9%) more than 2021, while the total number of casualties also rose by 9% between 2021 and 2022 (from 5,111 to 5,587).
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Car users had the highest number of casualties in 2022 (3,179), followed by pedestrians (904) and pedal cyclists (478).
Compared to last year, pedal cyclist casualties fell by 7%. However, pedestrian casualties increased by 17%, car casualties increased by 9% and motorcyclists by 2%
In 2022 there were 3,179 car users reported injured in road collisions; over half of all road casualties (57%: 3,179 out of 5,587) and a 9% increase on 2021. Of these, 101 were killed, an increase of 84% from 2021, and 808 seriously injured.
There were 904 pedestrian casualties recorded in 2022, one in seven of all casualties (16%: 904 out of 5,587) and up by 134 (17%) since 2021. Four per cent of pedestrian casualties were killed (34 out of 904) and 40% seriously injured (362 out of 904).
In 2022, non built-up roads (where speed limits exceed 40 miles per hour) accounted for over two-fifths of the total number of reported casualties (43%: 2,427 out of 5,587). However, they accounted for over almost three quarters of those killed (74%: 129 out of 174) and over two fifths of the total number of seriously injured (46%: 804 out of 1,759).
Although the figures for serious, slight and all casualties in 2022 are higher than the previous two years where casualty numbers will have been affected by the Covid pandemic and the associated impacts on travel, they are lower than those in 2019, according to Transport Scotland.
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Commenting on the statistics, Karen McDonnell, Head of RoSPA Scotland, said: "RoSPA recognise that the Key Reported Road Casualties Scotland 2022 present total casualty figures that are the third lowest since records began, indeed since 2000, the number of people killed on Scotland’s roads had decreased by 47%. However, there are 33 more families and communities with empty seats at their tables here in 2022.
"Whilst in compared to 2021, pedal cyclist casualties fell by 7%, pedestrian casualties increased by 17%, car casualties increased by 9% and motorcyclists by 2%.
"Scotland’s roads are a shared space, road users with greater power have greater responsibility, people walking, people cycling and people on motorcycles are vulnerable.
"Through the Scottish Occupational Road Safety Alliance, RoSPA will continue to be part of the National Conversation about Road Safety from a Driving and Riding for work perspective.
Encouraging over 600 member organisations and their drivers and riders to take ownership of road safety and manage driving risk as they would any other risk to their organisation towards the vision of Scotland having the best road safety performance in the world by 2030."
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