THE Scott Monument in Edinburgh is one of the city’s most prominent landmarks – and it’s the one where there are the most car crashes in Scotland.
There have been 89 recorded vehicle collisions between 2013 and 2018 due to drivers looking at the Gothic tribute to Sir Walter Scott instead of watching the road ahead.
These figures make the Scott Monument the third highest ranked landmark where motorists are likely to suffer a mishap in the UK. It comes behind Brighton Pier, with 124 accidents in second place, and Buckingham Palace that tops the poll with a whopping 203 smashes.
The tower, which was completed in 1844, stands at 200ft high and can be seen from many surrounding roads in Edinburgh. This is why so many of the collisions caused by drivers staring at the monument rather than the road are on Market Street, The Mound and St David Street, as well as Princes Street.
Thankfully, no other Scottish landmark makes it into the top 10 sightseeing spots that are most likely to cause a car crash. Others that make it into the list include the Houses of Parliament (with 79 incidents) at number four, Stonehenge (60) in fifth spot and The Angel of the North (53) in sixth.
Seventh place goes to the Humber Bridge (49), followed by St Paul’s Cathedral in London (40), Blackpool Tower (30) and then Windsor Castle (28), which rounds out the top 10.
The research was carried out by Select Car Leasing – using data produced by road safety charity THINK! – and involved analysing 50 of the UK’s most iconic landmarks.
Company director Mark Tongue said: “Failing to pay attention to other road users could lead to a shunt or sideswiping, both of which could cause serious or life-changing injuries.
“It may be tempting to slow down or rubberneck when passing a monument or landmark, but you need to keep your eyes on the road.”
A Police Scotland spokesperson added: “Drivers must pay attention to the road ahead and around them at all times. If you want to sightsee or look at landmarks, pull over and park safely so you can enjoy the view without putting yourself and others in any danger.
“Many popular attractions are in built-up areas or have lots of people around them, so drivers need to be vigilant at all times.”
