Scottish Road Safety Week step in right direction
“The first Scottish Road Safety Week has been a real opportunity to promote ways to keep our children safe.” Transport Minister Derek Mackay said today.
The Minister was speaking as Scottish Road Safety Week (SRSW), which ran from 4 to 10 May, came to a close and he announced the publication of the Scottish Road Safety Framework Annual Report for 2014.
Mr Mackay said:
“Saving children’s lives and making Scotland’s roads safer has been key the message at the heart of a week of activities around the country. I would like to thank each and every person who has made this important campaign a real success.
“It is vital that we ensure everyone, especially our youngest people, remain safe whether they are walking, cycling or travelling as a passenger in a car. This latest Scottish Road Safety Framework Annual Report highlights areas where we have made real progress.
“Road Safety Scotland remains a key partner on the annual in-car safety campaign, which provides information and guidance to parents to ensure that, from the very beginning, our children are protected and secured in the most appropriate child restraint.
“We have implemented landmark change in our nation’s drink-drive legislation, which has seen Scotland leading the way in the United Kingdom, will undoubtedly prevent the tragic and unnecessary loss of lives on our roads.
“We are undertaking progressive approaches to improving safety schemes such as our A9 average speed camera programme where early indications show this is delivering benefits.
“Our investment of over £64m is improving safety for cyclists and we are encouraging Councils to cut speed in towns and cities through our revised 20mph limit guidance. We have also delivered a number of education and awareness campaigns, including one reducing risk for motorcyclists taking left hand bends.
“Safe journeys to and from school are fundamental. Powers are now being devolved to allow legislation to ensure young people are safely buckled-up on these journeys and we have also launched a number of tools, such as the Klang road safety app, which give children hands-on, interactive learning experiences.
“All this is a step in the right direction but as I have said many times before and will continue to say, even one death on our roads is one too many. We must remain vigilant and every piece of work is important. Through our sustained focus and our resilient partnership approach, we will continue the long-term downward trend of casualties on Scotland’s roads.”
Read the annual report at http://www.transportscotland.gov.uk/report/j367570-00.htm.
Notes to editor
• The Scottish Road Safety Week has run from 4 to 10 May, with a particular focus on keeping children safe on Scotland’s roads.
- Scotland has taken a distinctive approach to road safety in recent years, setting targets for safer roads and reducing casualties.
- In 2013 (the last year for which figures are available), the number of people killed and injured on Scotland’s roads was the lowest since records began.
- SRSW has run in parallel with the United Nations’ Global Road Safety Week, to make the most of the international focus on children and road safety during that period.
- Along with regional and local activities, Scottish Road Safety Week has provided practical advice for parents, carers and schools on keeping children safer.
- The campaign had a combined reach of 67,889 on Road Safety Scotland’s and Transport Scotland’s Facebook and Twitter accounts
- A variety of partners were engaged including Tesco, Scotmid, SSE and National Trust for Scotland, reaching over 300,000 of their social media followers