Figures obtained by the Scottish Conservatives has shown that the A85 was closed to traffic on 46 occasions between 2010 and 2012. This is part of a Scotland wide increase in trunk road closures. From next spring Police Scotland will introduce new road collision investigation equipment. It is hoped that the 3D scanners which can record up to 120,000 different details of a crash scene per second and which have been trialled successfully in England, will significantly reduce the length of time roads are closed for accident investigations. Liz Smith, Scottish Conservative MSP for Mid Scotland & Fife said: “Constituents understand that serious road accidents will, on occasion, cause the closure of trunk roads due to the need for the police to conduct scene of accident, or sometimes crime, investigations. “However, many constituents have expressed concern that the occurrence and duration of these closures has increased significantly in recent years and they are questioning why the roads cannot be reopened more quickly.
“On the A85, much of which is rural, many drivers are forced to make lengthy and time-consuming detours which can, in some cases, have knock-on effects when it means missing ferry connections in Oban. “No-one underestimates the human loss when fatalities occur and everyone understands the difficulties faced by emergency services in these situations, but there are clearly other, less serious situations, when the road has been shut for a prolonged period. This has increased frustration and concerns amongst drivers. “I hope that these statistics encourage the Scottish Government and Police Scotland to look again at how they deal with incidents on these key trunk roads. Road safety is, of course, a priority but we must also be mindful of ensuring we preserve an efficient transport network.”