Conclusion

Enforcement

Intelligence-led short term enforcement generated significant public interest and challenged engrained driver behaviours. The programme should continue with intelligence led enforcement to take advantage of increased public interest.

Responding to local community and road authority concerns are also a positive and proactive means of tackling challenging excessive speed and local concerns. This responsive and flexible enforcement should continue to be encouraged and engagement with local forums to should increase to ensure a proactive route of engagement.

With the ULEV vans still delayed in production, every effort should be made to ensure these vans are delivered and operational as soon as possible. A full assessment of the replacement vehicles should inform future procurement well in advance of any further deterioration of the fleet.

Average speed cameras continue to present as a highly effective system to improve speed compliance and collision reduction and should remain an option for enforcement along stretches of road where speed compliance remains stubborn. The programme should continue to monitor the enforcement landscape to take advantage of emerging technology.

A robust site selection exercise led to a significant number of locations being identified for dormancy, of which many of these were legacy sites which do not meet current site selection criteria. Efforts should continue to ensure site reviews continue to feature in the annual site selection exercise to ensure the right technology is deployed in the right location and at the right time.

Enforcement hours has been challenged by the lack of mobile enforcement vehicles and every effort must be made to bring these vehicles into operation. Future fleet management should be informed by the challenges presented by delivery of replacement vehicles and by performance of these vehicles once operational.

Staffing

Although the projected staffing requirement was slightly lower than 2022/23, the overall filling of vacancies has resulted in less vacancies than previous. The East has a reduced requirement, matched by increased capacity in the North, with the west remaining broadly static. There does however remain 7.7 vacant posts.

Communication

Communicating the role of safety cameras and educating the public should continue to feature to ensure messaging on the impact of speed on collisions is resonating with the public. New and innovative approaches to communicate with road users should continue to feature and other approaches identified where possible to continue the process of positive engagement.

Local Engagement

Improving engagement with road authorities is a priority for the three Units and efforts should be made to identify opportunities and local forums where the Units can be both more visible and engage directly with authorities, particularly around site selection. This should also be fed into website design plans.

Finance

To ensure the Programme has an appropriate budget level which enables it to maximise its collision and casualty reduction potential, and help Scotland achieve its overarching road safety targets, a real terms increase in budget should be the focus for 2024/25.