Reported Road Casualties Scotland 2013

Appendix C: Consultation & reviews

1. Introduction

This Appendix describes the arrangements for consulting users and providers of the road accident statistics. It also discusses the regular reviews of the Stats 19 road accident statistics specification, describing the changes to the Stats 19 specification in 2005 and the future recommendations resulting from the recent (2008) review.

2. The Liaison Group on Road Accident Statistics (LGRAS)

Transport Scotland (TS) consults the Liaison Group on Road Accident Statistics (LGRAS), whose members include representatives of each Police Force and of the Association of Chief Police Officers (Scotland), of some individual local authorities and of the Society of Chief Officers of Transportation in Scotland, and of other types of user of the statistics, including the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents, the Institute of Road Safety Officers in Scotland, a transport consultant, and an academic researcher. LGRAS meets, on average, once a year. It discusses matters such as the arrangements for the supply of the road accident statistics data, the quality of the information collected and implications of using the data for certain purposes, the likely availability of other information, proposals for changes to the Stats 19 road accident statistics specification, and improvements.

Further details of LGRAS (including papers and minutes) are available at: http://www.transportscotland.gov.uk/analysis/statistics/scotstat/committees

3. The Standing Committee on Road Accident Statistics (SCRAS)

Users and providers of reported road accident statistics across Great Britain are consulted via the Standing Committee on Road Accident Statistics (SCRAS), chaired by the Department for Transport (DfT). Its members include representatives of the Association of Chief Police Officers (Scotland), COSLA, TS, and other interested parties from across Great Britain. SCRAS is responsible for reviewing the GB-wide Stats 19 road accident statistics specification (see below) and discusses other aspects of the collection and use of the road accident statistics.

Further information is available from Linden Francis at the DfT (Tel: 020 7944 3078) or http://tinyurl.com/pqjh3ez

4. Reviews of the Stats 19 road accident statistics specification

National & local government police forces across Great Britain work closely to achieve an agreed standard for the system for collecting & processing statistics on road accidents involving personal injury. The statistics are subject to regular reviews (led by SCRAS) as part of the continued drive to improve quality and meet user needs whilst minimising the burden of collection. The results of the recent review, including results of the public consultation were published by the DfT on 5 August 2010. The review made a number of recommendations for change to the process, coverage and definition of the Stats 19 collection system which was implemented in 2013. Details can be found at: http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20110503151558/http:/dft.gov.uk/pgr/statistics/committeesusergroups/scras/2008reviewstats19/

The review process

Scoping papers and questionnaires are published on the DfT's website and users and providers of road accident statistics across Great Britain are invited to provide their views and to suggest other possible improvements.

SCRAS and its working groups then consider all the suggestions for changes, and produced interim recommendations, (usually discussed at LGRAS). Subsequently, SCRAS and its working groups revise and further develop proposals for changes.

The 2002 review resulted in changes implemented at the start of 2005 (see Appendix B for detail of these. Copies of the list of changes, and the guidance notes (Stats 19, Stats 20 and Stats 21) are available from the Methods and Background section of: http://www.transportscotland.gov.uk/analysis/statistics/about/data-sources/road-accidents

The report of the 2002 review is available from the National Statistics website - go to: http://tinyurl.com/8hkl8sf

The variables and code-lists used from 1999 to 2004 inclusive were shown in Appendix B of Road Accidents Scotland 2004. A summary of the changes which took effect from January 2005 appeared in Section 6 of Appendix C of Road Accidents Scotland 2005.