Evaluation of governance

The SPB and OPG both met bi-annually (and sometimes dealt with raising matters in correspondence) to consider a range of evidence-based road safety policies and interventions with all minutes published online via the Transport Scotland website. A review of meeting minutes and feedback from SPB and OPG members confirms that both forums are operating effectively with evidence of appropriate discussion and challenge of road safety matters.

Although some local initiatives have been supported through the framework funding and local road safety issues can be raised at SPB and OPG level by CoSLA and SCOTS respectively, both SPB and OPG felt that they did not know enough of what was happening at regional/local level both positive and negative. They assessed that there would be a need to improve knowledge sharing and experience and new ideas between the local and national level, if the new very ambitious road casualty reduction targets were to be met in 2030. It was also recognised that, as an average over 2016 to 2020, 68% of the fatal accidents and 82% of all severity accidents still happened on local roads - circa 94% of all Scottish roads - although these proportions had slightly reduced compared to the average period 2004-2008 (refer Table 4 of Reported Road Casualties Scotland 2020). In addition the reported accident rate per 100 million vehicle km for 2016-2020 average on Local Authority A roads was 16.8 for Scotland compared to the Trunk A road’s rate of 8 for Scotland (refer Table 5C of Reported Roads Casualties Scotland 2020).

A few questions were also asked during the public consultation on the next framework that was held between 8 September and 1 December 2020 in relation to the governance. Overall the SPB and OPG were evaluated as operating effectively. More detail can be found in Annex B, particularly around the introduction of a 3rd tier in the governance structure called Local Partnership Forums, aiming to share local road safety issues, plans and evaluations and serve as a national knowledge hub.

Strategic Partnership Board

Recommendations

Review Terms of References developed for the SPB and subsequently approved as failure to do so may lead to misunderstanding of a specific group/forums objectives and in turn lead to misalignment with the objectives of the Road Safety Framework.

Operational Partnership Group

Recommendations

• Review Terms of References developed for the OPG and subsequently approved as failure to do so may lead to misunderstanding of a specific group/forums objectives and in turn lead to misalignment with the objectives of the Road Safety Framework.
• In order to improve communications between national and local levels, create a third tier in the framework’s governance structure called Local Partnership Forums.