While giving a cautious welcome to figures showing a drop in the number of serious injuries during 2003, the MSP warned that he was seriously concerned by the increase in deaths and stressed that action needs to be taken, including tougher police enforcement of dangerous driving.

“In the summer I commissioned a study to look at what, if any, common causes there might be and identify any measures which could improve the situation,” he said.

“The results of this will be available soon.

“New investment in road improvement schemes targeted on accident blackspots can help to reduce the number of road casualties in Tayside.

“We must continue our efforts to improve road safety through effective education for children and drivers and tough police enforcement.”

The MSP also gave a cautious welcome to a decrease in the number of people seriously injured in Tayside, adding that it was encouraging to see a drop in serious injuries.

Earlier this month Dundee West MSP Kate Maclean hit out after figures revealed that 23 people were injured, 10 of them seriously, by drink-drivers in Dundee last year.

The figures also showed that 50 people were killed by drink-drivers in Scotland in 2002, 240 were seriously injured and 970 others were slightly injured — a total of 1260 casualties.

Last year, that figure rose to 1280 and since then casualty levels have been increasing.

Today's figures confirm that, with the number of people killed on Scotland’s roads having risen by 9% to 331 in 2003.

Despite the figures, the long-term trend for the total number of people killed and seriously injured was down 7% from 3523 in 2002 to 3271 in 2003. Last year also had the lowest number of road casualties in Scotland for 50 years.