A fresh call for action has been made for additional safety upgrades on a busy Angus road clinging to its killer reputation despite major improvement works.
The A92 between Arbroath and Montrose has benefited from millions of pounds of investment but new data has revealed the stretch witnessed 15 recorded accidents in the past two years.
They include a 2016 fatality which claimed the life of a Broughty Ferry pensioner, but the statistics do not take in the most recent tragedy just weeks ago when a north-east motorcyclist lost his life.
Angus Conservative MP Kirstene Hair has now urged Angus Council to look again at safety improvements to the route which, only a few years’ ago, underwent a £2 million realignment programme near Inverkeilor to cut out the notorious Big Tree Bends – the scene of numerous fatal and serious crashes.
Ms Hair lodged a Freedom of Information request with Angus Council on the number of recorded fatal and non-fatal accidents on the A92 between Arbroath and Montrose following the death last month of 47-year-old Douglas Lawie, from Inverurie, killed when his machine was involved in a collision with a BMW 1-series north of Inverkeilor.
The response revealed the stretch of around just ten miles was the scene of 14 non-fatal accidents between January 2015 and April this year, and also detailed the work undertaken by the local authority to improve safety on the road over the past three years.
In addition to the major realignment project, there have been signing and road marking improvements at several junctions, including Tarriebank, Inverkeilor Bridge, Rossie Mill as well as as safety barrier works along the route.
Ms Hair said: “These figures show an alarmingly high number of accidents on a relatively short stretch of road in Angus.
“The local council has done a lot of work at various points on the A92 in recent years. However, there is a concern locally that the safety upgrades have not gone far enough.
“Sadly, there have been two fatal accidents on the A92 in the last 19 months – in addition to 15 other crashes since the start of 2015.
“I think most people would agree that one death on our roads is one too many.
“Given ongoing cuts to council budgets, there is a limit to what the local authority can do, but there is a case to be made for more upgrades to this route.”
A spokesman for the local authority said: “Angus Council undertakes an accident investigation programme where road traffic accident data gathered by Police Scotland is analysed to identify sites on the Angus road network with a significant accident history.
“Information on the results of accident analysis and identified accident locations is reported to council committee with recommendations to provide appropriate mitigation measures.
“We have undertaken various road safety improvements in recent years on the A92 between Arbroath and Montrose, including signing and lining improvements, provision of road safety barriers and road surfacing works”.
