Many careless drivers in NE Scotland getting off without court action - road safety campaigners condemn what they see as an ‘insult’ to crash victims

A third of north-east drivers charged with careless driving this year have not faced court action, it has been revealed.

Figures show that out of the 266 careless driving cases reported to the Crown Office by Grampian Police between January 1 and June 30 this year, 86 were dropped.

Last night road safety campaigners said the statistics were an “insult” to the victims of road accidents and their families.

One cyclist, who was knocked down by a car earlier this year, called for action to be taken against those who put other people’s lives at risk.

Hunter Watson was knocked unconscious and fractured a leg and had back injuries after being hit by a car on the A980 Garlogie to Torphins road, near Raemoir.

The 74-year-old was wearing a high-visibility jacket when the accident happened around noon on May 13.

In a letter from the Crown Office, Mr Watson was told no further action would be taken against the driver of the car which hit him as it was not deemed in the “public interest”.

Mr Watson, of Burnieboozle Place, Aberdeen, said: “I’m very unhappy that the driver who ran into me, and who claims didn’t see me, was charged with careless driving but will now face no further action after the fiscal decided not to take proceedings further.

“Surely it would have been in the public interest for him to have had penalty points added to his driving licence.

“In my opinion anyone who is charged with driving without due care and attention should always be prosecuted if they injure or kill someone.”

Road safety group Brake said it was shocked by the figures, which were obtained under the Freedom of Information Act.

Spokeswoman Caroline Perry said: “It’s an outrage that so many drivers charged with careless driving have faced no further action.

“By being charged with this they have been found to be putting other road users at risk and as such should face an appropriate punishment which reflects that.

“This is an insult to any family whose lives have been dramatically affected by a road crash involving a careless driver.”

North-east MSP Richard Baker, Labour justice spokesman, said he would be writing to the procurator fiscal to find out why the 86 cases were dropped.

“We don’t know the individual circumstances in each case, but we need answers from the procurator fiscal about why these cases are not being pursued,” he said.

“We have a terrible record of road accidents in the north-east.

“It is extremely important that careless driving is dealt with appropriately by the courts.”

Last night a spokesman for the Crown Office said: “It is the responsibility of the procurator fiscal to review each case and proceed only where there is sufficient evidence and it is in the public interest to do so.

“Every case is considered independently, based on the evidence available to the procurator fiscal from the police report.

“The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service takes crimes committed on our roads very seriously, and where there is sufficient evidence and it is in the public interest to do so will take criminal proceedings.”