Police have been called to more than 400 collisions on the A96 in the last three years amid calls for the SNP government to commit to fully dualling the road in its upcoming Budget.
New figures from Police Scotland and the Scottish Government show on average, officers are being called to a crash every two days on the Aberdeen to Inverness route, resulting in 12 deaths since 2023.
In total, police have attended 433 collisions on the A96 over the last three years, and a further 1,102 incidents relating to “road traffic matters”.
So far this year, six people have died on the A96, while police have dealt with 114 collisions.
Last year, the SNP dropped its commitment to dual the A96 in full by 2030, fuelling backlash from communities.
Draft plans, resulting from the A96 Corridor Review, have proposed scrapping full dualling in favour of only building new bypasses at Elgin and Keith, casting fresh doubt over the future of the project.
Scottish Conservative shadow rural secretary and Moray-based MSP Tim Eagle said: “These horrifying figures lay bare the tragic consequences of not upgrading the A96 to a safer standard.
“Communities have been left with a crumbling road that is not fit for the 21st century, making it one of the most dangerous in Scotland.
“The SNP have betrayed communities by not dualling the A96, which is costing and risking lives on an almost daily basis.
“The eye-watering number of collisions that police are attending should be a wake-up call for the Scottish Government to get on with fulfilling their 2011 promise.
“That is why the SNP government must commit to fully dualling the A96 in their upcoming Budget to give a safer journey between Aberdeen and Inverness, drive our economy forward and ensure our emergency services can get where they need to without delays.”
