ACCIDENT rates on one of Scotland’s most notorious roads are twice as high on two-lane sections as they are on dual carriageway.
The revelation will pile pressure on the Scottish Government to complete the upgrading of the A1 between Edinburgh and the English border.
Despite the horrifically high accident rate on the road, much of it remains two-lane.
The figures from Transport Scotland reveal the accident rate on dualled and two-lane sections.
They show the rate for dualled sections averaged 7.3 accidents per section over three years.
But on the single carriageway sections they averaged 17.7.
The worst stretch in Scotland is between Heugh Head to Reston which has a three-year rate of 41.8.
It is followed by the Brockholes to White Lodge section with 28 accidents and the Grantshouse to Brockholes at almost 24.
Borders MSP John Lamont said: “These statistics provide conclusive evidence that the dualled sections of the A1 are more than twice as safe to drive on than those with just a single carriageway.
“This is precisely why I and many others have been campaigning for years to see this important route upgraded and to prevent any more serious incidents or death.
“It is now time for the SNP to step up to the mark in Scotland. Simply because a road leads to England is no reason not to invest in it. They have a duty to provide motorists in the Borders with the best and safest road network that they can.”
