The names of 128 road death victims were printed on a black-bordered double-page spread, as a newspaper highlighted the carnage on its local roads.

One person dies in a road accident each week in the circulation area of the Aberdeen Evening Express. The list covered the 128 from the last three years.

And the paper has paid tribute to all those who have lost their lives and highlighted where the fatal accidents took place.

It is part of a long-running campaign for safety on the now infamous A90, A96, A93 and A941.

The Evening Express, members of the Scottish Parliament and local people are lobbying the Scottish Executive for action.

The Press and Journal raised a 60,000-name petition as part of its 1989 campaign and two bypasses were completed ten years later. The Evening Express ran a successful campaign from late 1997 to light up danger junctions and last June a new campaign was launched to dual the A90 – but there are no firm pledges.

The paper claims projects have been shelved because of a lack of cash and drivers are caught unaware when dual carriageways revert to the single carriageway two-way road.

The police say faulty vehicles are responsible for only a fraction of the deaths and it is the type of roads, coupled with driver frustration, that is claiming lives.

This year’s tragic toll has been increased by the number of multiple deaths with ten people losing their lives in just four accidents.

The Evening Express leader column told its readers: “Only by showing the true human cost can we hope to put an end to the horror.

“Police put most of the crashes down to poor driving but that’s too simplistic.

“The roads in our area are now inadequate for the amount of traffic they carry.

“The mix if single and dual carriageway on the A90 and A96 is confusing and frustrating.

“The Scottish Executive is refusing to upgrade these roads, saving money when lives are at stake.

“That is why the Evening Express will continue to campaign for safety improvements. We owe it to the many who have already perished.”

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