5. Recommendations

The following recommendations have been identified through analysis and are presented for consideration

General - Education and Awareness

5.1 Encourage bus passengers (public and private) to wear seatbelts where they are fitted:

A campaign could be developed in collaboration with major bus providers operating both public and private hire vehicles in the East and West of Scotland, to encourage passengers to wear seatbelts where they are fitted.

Existing national campaigns around seatbelt use, such as those run by Road Safety Scotland, should be cognisant of including messaging aimed at bus passengers

5.2 Raise awareness of the dangers of mobile phone use while behind the wheel:

Continue campaigns such as Road Safety Scotland’s ‘Drive like Gran’s in the car’ to target young males

5.3 Provide access to relevant materials and support for drink and/or drugs misuse when taken into custody:

Drivers who are found to be under the influence of drink and/or drugs and taken into custody should be signposted to relevant materials and support for substance misuse issues.

Custody suites should ensure they have relevant materials available with information regarding appropriate local and national Third Sector Organisations.

Younger Drivers

5.4 Raise awareness of the importance of wearing a seatbelt to younger age groups and in areas of deprivation:

Campaigns should continue to be developed by Road Safety Scotland, Police Scotland, Transport Scotland and similar organisations which highlight the importance of wearing a seatbelt and the financial penalties incurred by those who don’t.

To reach this audience, the campaigns should be targeted both in person and virtually in locations such as gyms/leisure centres, fast food chains, TikTok, YouTube and using other media appropriate to the audience.

Older Drivers

5.5 Develop campaigns regarding eyesight and fitness to drive:

Campaigns should be developed to target older drivers’ eyesight. This will involve utilising different communication methods from other national campaigns as older people are less likely to be utilising the internet and social media. This may include adverts on TV or in print, in GP and optician surgeries, supermarkets etc.

Work in partnership with pharmacies should be considered, to develop a package which highlights important messages about fitness to drive.

5.6 Develop a campaign on when is the right time to give up driving:

A campaign could be developed in conjunction with organisations such as Age Scotland highlighting the signs to look for in older drivers regarding their fitness to drive.

A particular focus of any campaign should be on signposting resources and organisations that can be utilised for assistance

Police Scotland and Transport Scotland should work with DriveAbility Scotland to highlight the available services and encourage older drivers to self-refer.

Motorcyclists

5.7 Develop or continue to run campaigns on motorcycle safety:

Targeted campaigns should continue to be cognisant of seasonal differences for motorcyclist fatalities.

Police Scotland’s Motorcycle Safety Campaign in 2022 ran from April to September, the findings of this report support this time period for future similar campaigns.

5.8 Consider young male riders when developing any messaging and campaigns for motorcyclists:

Campaigns highlighting the importance of motorcycle helmet use could be developed and targeted at young male riders.

5.9 Consider ways to reduce or manage speed for motorcyclists:

Improved training and education are required for motorcycle riders in addition to speed management measures, including speed limit reductions and the addition of Intelligent Speed Assistance systems, to address riding style and behaviour.

Pedal Cyclists

5.10 Continue to roll out the driver awareness training by Cycling Scotland, consider rolling this out further or developing further initiatives:

National Highways recently launched a new safety campaign aimed at educating drivers to ‘know the zones’, highlighting blind spots where HGV drivers have limited visibility. A similar campaign could be developed in conjunction with bodies such as the Road Haulage Association aimed at educating pedestrians and cyclists about blind spots and ensuring they remain visible to HGV drivers.

While a national campaign would be beneficial (particularly in busy, densely-populated areas), given a large percentage of collisions with these characteristics occurred in Aberdeen and Edinburgh, consideration should be given to targeted campaigns in these areas

5.11 Consider cycle helmet use:

Police Scotland, Transport Scotland and relevant partners such as Cycling Scotland should encourage cyclists to consider wearing a helmet in line with the Highway Code recommendation.

Any communications should consider targeting child cyclists and older cyclists.

Should The Child Safety (Cycle Helmets) Bill 2020 be passed, appropriate communications and campaigns should be developed to raise awareness.

Dedicated enforcement campaigns should run alongside any awareness campaigns

Should The Child Safety (Cycle Helmets) Bill 2020 be passed, appropriate communications and campaigns should be developed to raise awareness.

Dedicated enforcement campaigns should run alongside any awareness campaigns.

Foreign Drivers

5.12 Develop foreign driver materials and distribute at relevant locations:

Posters/display materials could be developed and displayed in various establishments on the A82 such as the Green Welly Stop.

Materials should reinforce the requirement to drive on the left and provide an overview of common road layouts and driving practices including giving way when joining traffic and the direction of travel of other vehicles

Transport Scotland and other relevant partners could work in partnership with major car rental companies to develop materials that can be disseminated to foreign drivers on obtaining a hire vehicle.

Hire companies should also have such materials available on their websites for foreign drivers when booking online.

Road Safety Scotland has a wealth of materials available in various languages that could be utilised.

Transport Scotland could work in partnership with major UK airports and ferry ports to display materials aimed at foreign drivers.

Materials should reinforce the requirement to drive on the left and provide an overview of common road layouts and driving practices, including giving way when joining traffic, and the direction of travel of other vehicles.

Materials should also be available on ferries servicing many of Scotland’s islands which are popular with tourists, including Caledonian MacBrayne and Northlink Ferries.

5.13 Use technology to inform:

Road Safety Scotland has developed a video for foreign drivers prior to them travelling to the UK. The dissemination of this video should be supported by Transport Scotland and Police Scotland and further utilised where appropriate.

Pedestrians

5.14 Develop material targeting socially deprives areas aimed at pedestrians:

Campaigns and safety interventions for pedestrians, particularly those aimed at children should be targeted towards more socially deprived areas.