Assessment

With reference given to the requirements of the UNCRC (Incorporation) (Scotland) Act 2024, which aspects of the proposal are relevant to children’s rights?

Article 6 Life, survival and development - A positive impact has been identified as reducing car use will in turn reduce air pollution and road accidents, leading to a reduction in the number of deaths due to these causes.

Article 24 Health and health services – The policy is expected to have a positive effect on the health of children in Scotland in several ways including the fact that it is likely to diminish infant and child mortality for the reasons set out above, as well as improving health outcomes by reducing environmental pollution caused by cars.

Article 31 Leisure, play and culture – The policy is expected to have a positive impact as reducing car use including parked vehicles and traffic, is intended to have the effect of improving the provision of spaces and opportunities for children’s participation in recreational and leisure activities.

Please provide a summary of the evidence gathered which will be used to inform your decision-making and the content of the proposal.

Further to the evidence described at ‘3’ have you identified any 'gaps' in evidence which may prevent determination of impact? If yes, please provide an explanation of how they will be addressed

No gaps identified – evidence of impact of transport options on health and wellbeing is well researched and documented.

Analysis of Evidence

Sources 1, 2, & 3: There is a body of evidence which suggests that car use impacts negatively on the health and wellbeing of both car users and non-car users. Pollution from tyre and brake wear, which also occurs from electric vehicles, is a significant contributor to poor air quality, which causes an estimated 1,700 premature deaths in Scotland each year.

Source 4: Car use contributes to thousands of road casualties each year as well as pedestrian casualties, 7% of all car user casualties were child casualties (defined as under 16 years of age), and 28% of all pedestrian casualties were child casualties.

Sources 5 & 6: Car use reduces people’s opportunities for active travel, with physical inactivity known to lead to nearly 2,500 deaths in Scotland annually. Children, people with disabilities, and the elderly are more likely to be killed or injured by motor vehicles despite lower levels of car access and higher levels of public transport use.

Source 7: The negative impacts of car use including from poor air quality and injury have been found to disproportionately affect more vulnerable members of society, including children and older people, as well as those living in more deprived areas.

Source 8: As a part of Scotland’s Climate Assembly, the Children’s Parliament worked with children across Scotland in a concurrent process to learn about the issues and provide recommendations to inform the work of the citizen’s assembly. Their recommendations for travel had a strong focus on incentivising public transport and active travel, aligned with the interventions set out in the route map.

Source 9: A draft route map was published for public consultation in January 2022. As part of the consultation, we engaged with members of Scotland’s Youth Parliament, who showed a desire for change from current patterns of travel, with 17% of survey respondents saying that in the future they would like to study or work online rather than travelling (compared to 6% who say this is what they currently do); and 26% saying that in the future they would like to cycle for the trips that they make regularly (compared with 7% who said that this was the way they currently travel for the trips that they make regularly). A significant proportion however said that in the future they would like to travel by electric car. This is likely to be a reflection of the fact that cost, convenience and journey time were cited as being most influential in shaping their travel choices, and the fact that car is currently seen as being disproportionately cheap, convenient and quick when compared to other travel behaviours (What’s your take: Reducing car use survey).

Sources 10 & 11: Air pollution is one of the greatest environmental risks to child health. Over 90% of people are exposed to unsafe vehicle pollution levels of nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, sulphur dioxide and ozone. This has been linked to heart disease, lung cancer, cognitive impairment, developmental issues and higher risks of conditions like asthma in children. All citizens must inhale this air, whether they own a car or not. While regulatory improvements have been made to reduce these emissions, they have been offset by an ever-increasing number of vehicles being purchased and driven.

Source 12: Automobility contributes to air, land, and water pollution. These forms of pollution are harmful to human health and contribute to low birth weights and premature births. In children, it contributes to reduced lung volumes and increased risk of diseases, e.g. asthma and leukaemia, and mental health issues. Over the past few decades, children have become increasingly sedentary in their travel, particularly in the most car dependent countries. Children who are driven to destinations are less likely to meet the 60-min daily physical activity recommendation from the World Health Organization. Car dependence has shifted social constructions of childhood and especially concepts of independence and safety. Compared to children who walk or cycle, children who travel in cars have less knowledge about their neighbourhoods, have fewer opportunities for outdoor play and exploration, and gain less experience in assessing risk and becoming independent.

What changes (if any) have been made to the proposal as a result of this assessment?

A number of changes have been made to the car use reduction renewed policy statement to reflect feedback we have received, including from children and young people, and from additional contemporary evidence which has been gathered in the intervening period. A key change has been to stress the importance of the approach to reducing car use being inclusive and flexible. The policy statement is clear that the target is a national ambition, not a requirement for all individuals to reduce their car use at the same rate.