Accidental deaths have risen in Scotland during the past ten years.
The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) has identified an upward spike in accidental deaths across the UK over the last decade, identifying Scotland as the nation with the highest death rate.
More than 2,500 lives are claimed by accidents each year in Scotland, with a rate 56% higher than the UK average.
Falls are the leading cause of these fatalities, totalling 42% of all accidental deaths.
Transport-related fatalities and drowning incidents are also above UK levels.
The accidents cost the NHS billions and take away thousands from the workforce annually.
The RoSPA has called on the next Scottish government to take this matter seriously and has issued a manifesto Towards a Safer Scotland, to help tackle the crisis. They point to some steps which could be put in place to help, such as mandatory eyesight testing for drivers every three years, embedding safer stair standards in building regulations, mandatory classroom water-safety eduction, continued motorcycle safety funding and a gig economy safety study.
Rebecca Hickman, CEO of RoSPA, said: “Scotland is facing a silent epidemic of accidental deaths, and the scale of harm is now impossible to ignore.
“Every statistic represents a person whose life could have been saved with proven interventions.
“We are urging the next Scottish government to make accident prevention a national priority, because the evidence shows that coordinated action will save lives, protect communities and relieve pressure on the NHS.”
The manifesto identifies 12 evidence-led measures which can be implemented by the next Scottish government to reduce road, home-based and water-related deaths and injuries.
A spokesperson for RoSPA said: “The rising accidental death rate is a major strategic challenge for Scotland, affecting health, productivity, and inequality. Addressing it will require coordinated action across government, emergency services, local authorities, and industry.”
The full document is here.
