Fatalities relating to speeding statistics: EIR release

Information requested

1) Can you please provide statistics on the number of road deaths which have occurred in 30mph limits where there was no evidence of speeding for the last 10 years

2) Can you please provide statistics on the number of road deaths which have occurred in 20mph limits where there was no evidence of speeding for the last 10 years

3) Can you please provide statistics showing that emissions from vehicles are lessened when driving at 20mph as oppose to 30mph. Please show different types of vehicles, i.e. cars with 1l engines, 2l engines, 3l engines, average bus, average lorry

4) Can you please provide statistics evidencing a clear link between the take up of alternative forms of transport where speed limits have been reduced from 30mph to 20mph, showing where possible the number of persons using non-motorised transport per 1000 when speed limits were 30mph versus the number of persons using non motorised transport per 1000 when speed limits have been changed to 20mph.

Response

As the information you have requested is 'environmental information' for the purposes of the Environmental Information (Scotland) Regulations 2004 (EIRs), we are required to deal with your request under those Regulations. We are applying the exemption at section 39(2) of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 (FOISA), so that we do not also have to deal with your request under FOISA.

This exemption is subject to the 'public interest test'. Therefore, taking account of all the circumstances of this case, we have considered if the public interest in disclosing the information outweighs the public interest in applying the exemption. We have found that, on balance, the public interest lies in favour of upholding the exemption, because there is no public interest in dealing with the same request under two different regimes. This is essentially a technical point and has no material effect on the outcome of your request.

Regarding points 1) and 2), the tables below show the number of fatalities on 20mph and 30mph speed limits where Police Scotland recorded that exceeding the speed limit was a factor that may have contributed to the collision.

Please note that the records we hold relate to collisions where someone is injured or killed, and which become known to Police Scotland. Any figures for 2024 are provisional as they are based on monthly returns received thus far from Police Scotland, with the most recent returns being received on 10th September 2025. This may be an incomplete picture of casualties up to that date due to a slight lag between collisions occurring and records being processed and shared by Police Scotland. These figures are also subject to change due to subsequent corrections and late records.

	Fatalities on 20mph speed limit roads
	Exceeding speed limit not recorded as a factor	Exceeding speed limit recorded as a factor	Total
2015	0	0	0
2016	1	0	1
2017	6	1	7
2018	7	0	7
2019	4	0	4
2020	5	0	5
2021	6	0	6
2022	4	2	6
2023	5	1	6
2024	8	0	8
	Fatalities on 30mph speed limit roads
	Exceeding speed limit not recorded as a factor	Exceeding speed limit recorded as a factor	Total
2015	33	4	37
2016	33	5	38
2017	21	3	24
2018	25	2	27
2019	33	4	37
2020	27	7	34
2021	27	3	30
2022	16	10	26
2023	32	4	36
2024	27	6	33

Regarding points 3) and 4), Transport Scotland does not hold the information requested. You may find some of the information contained within the Implementation Guide for 20 mph Speed Limits in Scotland to be of relevance

About FOI

The Scottish Government is committed to publishing all information released in response to Freedom of Information requests. View all FOI responses at https://www.gov.scot/foi-responses.