Concern over Forth Valley road casualties

More than 100 people were seriously injured, or killed on Forth Valley roads last year.

That's according to new figures from road safety charity Brake.

There were 11 injuries or deaths in Clackmannanshire, 54 in Falkirk, and 39 in Stirling.

They've raised concerns over the number of fatalities on roads across the UK.

Nearly 1,700 people died on UK roads in 2023.

Brake want the families of those injured or killed to get the same level of support as families of homicide victims.

Ross Moorlock, Chief Executive at Brake, said: “Road casualties are not just statistics. Behind every number is a grief-stricken family whose lives have been changed forever in an instant.

“The demand on our service continues to grow as road deaths and injuries show no sign of reducing. Every year, more families suffer the devastating impact of a road crash. Every year, more and more families come to us in their darkest and most difficult times.

“By comparison, at a Government level, funding for support for road victims is inadequate – so we and other charities that support bereaved and seriously injured families rely on the generosity of other supporters to fund our vital work. We know that the right support at the right time can change the course of someone’s life.

“Every road victim deserves the very highest standard of support and for that to happen we need a coordinated approach and national standards that meet best practice for post-crash response. We need national, multi-year funding for the provision of support to the affected road victim community, so that every family has access to trauma-informed, face-to-face support within their community, according to their needs.

“Road victims have been the forgotten and neglected victims for far too long and that has to change.

“Our families have told us what they want and what they need – and that includes recognition of the trauma of sudden road death and injury, parity with other victim groups, sentencing to fit the crime and lessons learned to prevent future road death and injury.

“Until we achieve a world where no one is killed or harmed on a road, we will continue to do everything we can to ensure that everyone affected by road death and injury receives the respect, support and justice they deserve.”