The number of people killed on Scotland’s roads reached a six-year high in 2022, jumping by 32, from 141 to 173.
The new figures from Transport Scotland are particularly grim as the jump follows on from a long-term downward trend.
Car users accounted for the majority of the fatalities, with 101 being killed last year, almost double the 55 who died in 2021.
Since 2012, the number of car users killed has increased by 38%.
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The statistics also reveal that there were 33 pedestrian deaths, two bicycle users who were killed, and 25 motorbike fatalities.
In total, there were 5,621 casualties in 2022, up 10% than in 2021. Of those 1,776 were seriously injured.
Trunk roads accounted for 35% of fatal collisions, 18% of serious collisions, and 18% of all collisions.
Minister for Transport Fiona Hyslop said the Scottish Government did not accept that the fatalities were inevitable.
She said: “One death on our roads is simply one too many. My thoughts are with the families and friends who have tragically lost a loved one, and those whose lives are changed forever.
“We do not accept that road casualties are inevitable and are determined to do everything we can to ensure these numbers come down as we work towards our long term target of no one being seriously injured or killed on our roads by 2050.
"That is why the Scottish Government is investing more than £31 million pounds on road safety this financial year to support projects such as our Trunk Road Casualty Reduction Programme, the Road Safety Improvement Fund, our Safety Camera Programme and the expansion of 20 mph areas in communities across Scotland."
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The figures also reveal a marked difference between men and women, with the male driver collision rate at 1.3 per thousand population, compared to 0.8 per thousand population for women.
The casualty rate for 16 to 22-year-old car users was 1.42 per thousand population, much higher than the rate for older drivers.
The peak time for adult car user casualties was between 4pm and 6pm.
Transport Figures also show that most accidents happen over the summer. August had 33% more adult car user casualties than April.
There were 912 pedestrian casualties in 2022, of these, 367 were seriously injured and 33 died.
The overall number of pedestrian casualties was 18% higher than 2021.
In total, there were 480 cycle casualties in 2022, 32 less than the previous year. The number of seriously injured pedal cycle casualties in 2022 was 180.
There were 2 pedal cycle fatalities in 2022, eight less than 2021.
In 2022, 88% of pedal cycle casualties were on built-up roads. The figures note that there has been 3% decrease in the number of bikes on the road in 2022 compared to 2021.
The peak months of the year for adult pedal cycle casualties were June and August which were 28-40% more than the monthly average.
A total of 467 motorcyclists were injured in road collisions in 2022, representing 8% of all casualties. Of these, 280 were seriously injured and 25 died.
Ms Hylop added: “Road safety remains an absolute priority for this government and we are determined to continue working towards our goal of Scotland having the best road safety performance in the world by 2030.”
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