Meeting minutes - Road Safety Framework Local Partnership Forum - East - 3 March 2022

Attendees

  • Michelle Little (ML) (Chair) - Transport Scotland - Road Safety Policy Team
  • Kieren Green (KG) (Secretariat) - Transport Scotland - Road Safety Policy Team
  • George Henry (GH) - Transport Scotland - Road Safety Policy Team
  • Andrew Patterson (AP) - Transport Scotland - Statistician
  • Alasdair Sim (AS) - Transport Scotland - Area Manager
  • Debbie Nicol (DN) - Road Safety Scotland
  • Andrew Gibb (AG) - Police Scotland
  • Stevie Quinn (SQ) - Police Scotland
  • Michael Grant (MG) - Area Safety Camera Manager
  • Niall MacLennan (NM) - Scottish Fire and Rescue Service
  • Marshall Greenshields (MG) - East Lothian Council
  • Philippa Gilhooly (PG) - Scottish Borders Council
  • Steven Sellars (SS) - Fife Council
  • Gillian Kelly (GK) - Fife Council
  • Stuart Geddes (SG) - West Lothian Council
  • Iain Reid (IR) - East Lothian Council
  • Ian McCall (IMcC) - Paths for All
  • David Monaghan (DM) - Spokes
  • Jim Reid (JR) - BEAR Scotland
  • Peter Jackson (PJ) - Sestrans
  • Euan Clayton (EC) - MAG
  • Cameron Ferguson (CF) - Transport Scotland Safety Camera Programme
  • Richard Perry (RP) - Transport Scotland SE/NW Road Safety Manager
  • Stuart Logan (SL) - Transport Scotland Sustainable and Active Travel
  • Vinnie Fisher (VF) - Police Scotland
  • Brian Poole (BP) - Police Scotland
  • Colin Morrison (CM) - Police Scotland
  • Thomas Keay (TK) - Scottish Fire and Rescue Service
  • Duncan Gardner (DG) - Falkirk Council
  • Jami Blyth (JB) - Brake

Apologies

  • Keith Warhurst (KW) - Police Scotland
  • Suzie Hynds (SH) - Clackmannanshire Council
  • Darren Cook (DC) - Police Scotland
  • Russell Steedman (RS) - Falkirk Council
  • Scott Irving (SI) - Scottish Fire and Rescue Service
  • Stacey Monteith-Skelton (SM) - City of Edinburgh Council
  • Roger Park (RP) - Police Scotland
  • Mark Lazarowicz (MaL) - Living Streets Scotland
  • Iain McDonald (IMcD) - Clackmannanshire Council

Welcome and Introductions

The Chair welcomed everyone to the Local Partnership Forum East (LPF) and proceeded with round the table introductions.

Minutes and Action from 25 November 2021

The minutes had been previously circulated to the group with no comments being received and have since been published on Transport Scotland website.

All previous actions have been complete or will be covered by the agenda.

Reported Road Casualties Scotland 2020

Local Road Casualties

Following requests from the group at the previous meeting, AP presented the local road casualty stats, highlighting the following points;

  • Findings on collisions by vehicle age – On average the older the vehicle involved the more serious the casualty. Noting caution around specifically looking at the age of vehicle as the age group with older cars tends to be young and older drivers.
  • Buses, motorcycles and HGVs are more likely to be involved when fatalities occur. However this could mean that someone has left the bus then been hit by another vehicle.
  • Scotland has six different classifications of urban/rural based on journey time to cities of certain sizes.
  • For high level road safety framework targets at local authority level, although number are relatively low, in terms of pedestrian KSI, Edinburgh and Fife are notably high. For Cyclists, Edinburgh. For Motorcyclists KSI there is a spread over several local authorities. For older road user casualties are the highest numbers are in Fife but the highest rates are Scottish Borders. For younger road users, the highest number are in Fife and the rates are West Lothian and the Scottish Borders.
  • Overall pedestrians are the highest fatality in large urban areas.
  • Cars and motorcycles have the highest fatalities in accessible rural areas. However, cars have the highest casualties in all areas.
  • Within this LPF, Edinburgh has the highest population, followed by Fife, with Clackmannanshire having the least population. This is the same picture with traffic volume.
  • Edinburgh and Fife have the highest casualties, however noted the above with having the highest traffic volume.
  • LPF East had two child fatalities in 2020.

Speed Compliance Indicators

Speed indicator sites have been installed across Scotland, with AP noting a difference in site locations compared to that DfT record and publish for England. The headline findings are;

  • 20mph roads have very low speed compliance with 70% of cars and vans speeding through 20mph locations. Buses least likely to speed on 20 mph roads.
  • 30mph have a better speed compliance with only 38% of cars and vans likely to speed in these locations.
  • As the speed limit gets higher from 40 mph motorcycles are more likely to speed.
  • At 60mph there are a relatively low number of cars speeding, however more motorcycles tend to speed.

The group welcomed this data and noted that a breaking down the data to allow for a wider discussion at future meetings would be useful. The group also welcomed having advance sight of the slides before the meetings.

The landscape and makeup of different locations (rural and urban) was discussed, it was agreed that rural roads are where we are seeing the bulk of fatal and serious collisions and not about how individual local authorities are performing.

The recording of stolen vehicles and the breakdown of the stats for those who are using the roads illegally and are involved in collisions was discussed and confirmed that this isn’t captured in this data, noting a rise in motorcycle antisocial behaviour.

The views were sought on partners providing updates ahead of the meetings to allow other members to digest and potentially ask questions on specific topics. It was agreed that it would be helpful to have early sight of not only the stats but the partner updates, facilitating more in depth conversations.

VF noted the benefit of the presentation and the data but queried data that we currently don’t hold such as damage only, for instance when investigating particular local roads you could see debris from various motorcycles but other than that there was no evidence to say there were any issues at that location. Having this type of information can help to put measures in place before they become a KSI.

JR confirmed that this information backs up what the framework and Safe System is about, making roads system safer and easy to understand by informing road users of potential hazards. Noting that the new trunk road operating contracts all support the Safe System approach. It was highlighted that to truly implement the safe system reviewing the road network at a local level should also take place to identify these areas and put measures in place.

Collection of the data for damage to crown property and the near misses is not being collected in a standardised fashion.

With the current resource and budget, local authorities approach to identifying these areas is reactive and generally only occurs with fatal or serious collisions rather than looking at all the damage only collisions.

It was highlighted that under the safe system approach we know collisions will happen and people will make mistakes but as road authorities we need to ensure that no one dies as a consequence of those mistakes. A risk assessment of Scotland’s roads is needed to highlight these specific areas.

GH advised, through the road safety framework we are aiming to change the way in which road safety is delivered. Transport Scotland is actively looking at rolling out Safe System training for all road safety professional. However there is no off the shelf training and we are looking for Scotland to lead the way with this. Currently, there is no expected timescales on when this will be rolled out wider, however looking to trial within Transport Scotland with the aim of a wider roll out for later this year.

Transport Scotland are also making £15 million of capital funding available for all road safety partners through the Road Safety Improvement Fund (RSIF) to deliver the road safety framework and implement the Safe System which will be announced in the coming months.

RP offered to share his experience with local authorities who will be transitioning to a Safe Systems model to road safety. With JR providing a training clip from Australia which he has found useful when demonstrating the Safe System within Bear Scotland.

SS welcomed the funding, however raised concerns around local authority resource to deliver the schemes where they want them. GH noted that these types of conversations have also taken place with SCOTS, COSLA and SOLACE to try and alleviate these issues. If resource is an issue for local authorities a wider discussion would need to take place on how we can collectively resolve this issue and any other issues that may come up.

PG queried if any other local authorities are looking at speeding in national speed limit areas and if they have suggestions on how to reduce the level of speeding in these locations. SS commented that within Fife they have moved to a route accident/corridor reduction plan to identify what needs done to deliver road safety in this area.

JB added Northumbria Police have carried out an operation (Dragoon) to target repeat driving offenders and offered assistance to introduce members to Northumbria Police to discuss further.

AG raised an issue for KSI on rural roads. The speed stats have indicated that speeding on these roads is relatively low, which indicates the issue is not necessarily speeding but drivers driving too fast on a particular stretch of road and how we tackle that. GH highlighted that through the safe system and education we are doing lots but we do need to do more to tackle this kind of issue.

Action Point 1: Secretariat to circulate AP presentation to members.

Action Point 2: Secretariat to seek updates from members ahead of next meeting.

Action Point 3: Chair/Secretariat to share PG request with other LPFs.

Action Point 4: JB to share contact of Northumbria Police for Operation Dragoon with Secretariat/VF.

HADECS Camera System (M90)

CF provided information on HADECS which is a traffic management scheme on the Queensferry crossing. The primary aim is to maintain traffic flow at peak times of congestion, but also incident support. The speed limits are set by a combination of in built road sensors and CCTV coverage.

The scheme originated in 2013 and built as part of the Queensferry Crossing, with equipment installed in 2018 and tested in 2019. As congestion levels begin to increase post Covid-19 it has been established there is a need for these systems. It is expected to go live in May 2022.

The system is expected to go live in May 2022, with a four week awareness campaign current being finalised. The campaign will be two week prior to going live and two week after on a mix of social and radio channels.

Road Safety Delivery Timeline (Fife)

GK presented a timeline of road safety activities which are currently being delivered in Fife mainly on education. The timeline was created during lockdown through the road casualty reduction group. There is additional work taking place which was not covered in this timeline.

MG has requested the timeline is circulated wider.

VF mentioned that Drivewise Borders website has been refreshed and media has been released to inform young drivers. Noting that the pre-driver element has been removed from the project. GK advised that the young driver aspect for Drivewise Fife, was able to be ran throughout the pandemic.

Lower Speed in Communities

The National Strategy for 20mph Speed Limits is currently being developed, with the road assessment criteria and exception being circulated around SCOTS for consideration.

The group was asked for their views on the implementation of 20mph speed limits. PG highlighted that the 20mph installed in the Borders have been great at reducing speed, although compliance isn’t yet there. VF added that speeds have dropped by around 3mph, however, it is too early to say what impact this has had on casualty numbers. However, highlighted that it is difficult to achieve speed compliance in these areas.

Following the implementation of 20mph speed limits in the Scottish Borders has there been a wider campaign on the benefits of 20mph speed limits to try to gain wider compliance. PG added that there was a large public awareness campaign when 20 mph was introduced, which was well received, however there hasn’t been an on-going campaign since these measures were a initially a temporary measure. Scottish Borders Council in December voted to make the 20mph sites permanent so work will begin on promoting this again.

SS added that Fife have also been looking at 20 mph, these have been predominantly around school zones and the wider residential area since 2004. There doesn’t appear to be a casualty issues but more around creating a more pleasant environment and supporting more active travel. Fife have now covered all residential areas, however they found physical features are needed to ensure compliance rather than signing only. The preferred and most effective method has been cushions.

BP echoed the comments on the challenge of police enforcement of 20 mph as resources are focused on areas of high casualties locations. However, community policing teams received concerns from residents frequently on the lack of enforcement. Highlighting the need for a joined up approach from all partners when 20’s are introduced to ensure the greatest level of compliance.

DM added there is a need for strong public messaging to get the public on board and behind the need for 20mph limits.

The Chair advised that for 20mph limits to be successful these need to be supported with a range of initiatives, awareness and education tools before during and after the rollout.

Spaces for People

The group were asked their views on Spaces for People, have they had an impact on road safety as this was rolled out as a health initiative and if local areas are considering keeping some schemes.

DM highlighted that although these schemes can be beneficial, it can be difficult to say what impact these have had on any casualty reductions. SL advised, the Spaces for People schemes were established as a health initiative and these are currently being evaluated which will be published this summer. The evaluation will be on the criteria in which these were set up so won’t include specific schemes and the road speed reductions.

EC raised concerns around the implementation of schemes on cyclists safety on approach junctions making them sometimes difficult to be seen by other road users and queried if this was taking into consideration when designing schemes. The group’s overall view was that there may not be enough information to say one way or another to say if there are any road safety benefits or risks.

The design of these schemes were done so on a temporary basis, however as more are made permanent this will include better design and more consultation with the public. These schemes also support local authorities to use experimental TROs meaning infrastructure can be delivered quick followed by a consultation.

Quiet Roads (Routes/Lanes/Ways)

Quiet roads signage was discussed, with East Lothian Council working in partnership with Sustrans looking at road speeds and traffic volume. Noting that there is a lack of consistency across areas when it comes to the wording and implementation of these.

PG commented that under the Spaces of People initiative a trial of 40mph speed limits were carried out in the Borders and have indicated that they are keen to work with East Lothian looking at these.

The Chair highlighted a publication by Sustrans, providing examples of creating quiet streets. MG advised that it is not clear as to what signage to use, to highlight to others that there may be others on this road.

The group was of the view when roads which are already under the speed limit and have very limited traffic, it makes sense to leave already quiet roads alone, but a sign would be of benefit to indicate.

SL made the group aware that the Sustainable and Active Travel team have funded Nestrans to carry out similar work in Aberdeenshire with some routes already established and offered MG a contact to look into this point further.

Action Point 5: Secretariat to share Fife Road Safety Delivery Timeline with group.

Action Point 6: VF to share letter template with BP on the police enforcement of 20mph.

Action Point 7: SL to share Nestrans contact with MG.

Road Safety Funding

Update on Road Safety Framework Funding

KG gave an update on the current call for framework bids which has been extended until Monday 7 March and offered support to anyone who may be considering a project.

Providing an update on current road safety framework funded initiatives:

Police Scotland National Dashcam Safety Portal

  • There has been a change in police lead, however work has continued on the development of the project with the next stage involving organising internal IT resources.

Police Scotland BOSCH Data Analysis

  • The equipment has now been received and Police Scotland are now rolling out the training to officers. The aim is to have full use of the equipment nationally by end of March 2022.

Dumfries & Galloway Mobile Phone App

  • A soft launch of the app called ‘Travel Safe D&G’ has taken place to allow testing and feedback from 30 partners. From this there have been amendments made to elements of the app. This will continue to be monitored with email address established to gather the feedback.

Older projects where discussed and a paper will be pulled together and shared on the content and status of each projects.

Improvement Fund

£15 million of capital funding has been secured for the Road Safety Improvement Fund for financial year 2022/23 with Transport Scotland currently considering the implementation of this.

The fund is expected to go live early in the financial year.

Action Point 8: Secretariat to create paper on older projects and their current status.

Road Safety Framework Activity

RSF2030 Delivery Plan

The Chair noted that the first Delivery Plan, published in September 2021 and containing 60 deliverables will be coming to an end at end of March 2022. Transport Scotland are currently working with partners of the 2022/23 Delivery Plan which will be constructed from deliverable which partners aim to take forward over the coming year. The aim is to publish this around mid-April 2022.

Speed Management Review

The Chair highlighted that Transport Scotland are currently working with consultants to undertake a National Speed Management Review. There have been several workshops taking place. This will allow us to understand the baseline conditions and would aim to establish the current status of speed management across Scotland and potential initiatives that could form part of a national policy.

Partner Updates

DN provided an update on RSS noting the following;

  • A new road safety resource has been developed called ‘Road Stars’ which will replace ‘Street Sense 2’ as the main primary school resource. This will be an online resource contained within the RSS website. The aim is for this to be launch mid-March with promotion of this.
  • Work has commenced with an additional support needs specialist to develop a new road safety resource for children and young people with complex support needs.
  • Rebuild on the RSS site is also progressing, paying particular attention to accessibility.
  • RSS are looking to update the ‘Your Call’ and ‘Crash Magnets’.
  • Drive Like Grans in the Car campaigns are being developed on speed and distraction, this will tie in with the law change later in the year.
  • A new Breathtaking Roads campaign is being developed for the next motorcycle season.
  • Road Safety Scotland Annual Seminar will take place on 23rd of March, during the first Scottish Road Safety Week.

CF advised of eight new Safety Camera schemes, these will be across four local authority areas.

TK advises that the Dumfries and Galloway road safety partnership will be conducting biker safety information on the Stena line ferries for the riders who are attending the north west 200 in Northern Ireland.

AOB and Next Meeting

The Chair sought views on how these meetings should continue such as in person, virtual or a hybrid model.

It was highlighted that it may be useful to have at least one in person meeting however the majority of the group were content to have a hybrid meeting once restrictions are fully removed.

The next meeting will be arranged in 6 months’ time.

Action Point 9: Secretariat to set up meeting for September 2022.

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Published Date 19 Apr 2022 Type Mode of transport Topic