TRANSPORT Minister Derek Mackay is extremely unwise to portray the A9 with its speed cameras as a road which apparently now has zero deaths because of speed cameras (“Cameras credited as death rate on A9 hits zero”, the Herald, January 27). In fact, there were six deaths along the camera stretches of the A9 within the 12 month period from November 2014 – October 2015, compared with an average of eight deaths per year from 2011 – 2013 and, in at least three of these six incidents, Police Scotland stated that initial findings revealed that neither excessive speed nor overtaking was a contributory factor.

This is hardly a convincing statistical change and certainly not a convincing argument for speed cameras making everything much safer. To argue, as Mr Mackay does, that speed cameras are making the road much safer because none of those deaths happened during the second half of 2015, is more than a little facile. The road hasn’t suddenly become safer since July 2015. In fact, there was another death just two weeks ago on the dual carriageway section south of Dunkeld – suddenly, Mr Mackay’s zero deaths statement sounds decidedly hollow. Indeed, it is a downright dangerous and irresponsible message to promote to the driving public. The A9 is still a very unsafe road and I predict deaths will continue at much the same rate as before until the road is completely dualled.