Road Safety Policy
Road Safety Policy
On drink-driving, the main development since last year has been confirmation of the decision to lower the drink-drive limit.
Drink-Driving
The Scotland Act 2012 transferred the power to set the drink-drive limit from Westminster to the Scottish Parliament. The Scottish Government undertook a consultation in late 2012 seeking views on reducing the existing blood/alcohol limit of 80mg/100ml to 50mg/100ml and consequential equivalent reductions in the breath and urine limit.
Following the consultation, where the majority offered support for a lower limit, the Scottish Government confirmed, in March 2013, its plans to lower the drink-drive limit in Scotland as this will help save lives and make our roads safer; it will also bring Scotland into line with most other European nations.
The Scottish Government is working with Police Scotland and the UK Government to prepare for a lower limit, including obtaining the necessary type approvals for the devices used by the police to test drivers. As a lower limit cannot be brought in until these approvals are obtained through the UK Government, Scottish Ministers have made clear to UK Ministers that they view introducing a lower limit in Scotland as a key priority which they want to introduce as soon as possible.
Young Drivers
In 2012, Scottish Ministers asked the UK Department for Transport (DfT) to look again at options for a UK Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) scheme. Members of the SPB and OPG held a workshop in November to discuss young and novice driver safety with a particular emphasis on GDL. The partners heard presentations from Transport Research laboratory (TrL) who have produced a report for DfT on young driver safety and from officials from the Department of the Environment Northern Ireland who are in the midst of consideration of further legislation in Northern Ireland for young and novice drivers. An anticipated Green Paper from DfT Ministers did not materialise and, in January 2014, Keith Brown MSP, Minister for Transport and Veterans, wrote again to Patrick McLoughlin MP, Secretary of State for Transport, expressing disappointment at the lack of progress on this issue.
GDL remains the only young driver intervention for which there is clear and unambiguous evidence to show that it reduces the accident rate for new and young drivers.
School Transport
Ministers are committed to ensuring that seatbelts are provided on all dedicated school transport in Scotland and during 2013 worked to ensure that the necessary legislative powers to enable such measures could be devolved from Westminster to the Scottish Parliament. Upon the successful transfer of powers under a Section 30(2) Order of the Scotland Act, Ministers will seek to introduce primary legislation to implement the seatbelt requirement. In March 2014, the Minister for Transport and Veterans announced that 'in principle' agreement had been secured from the UK Government for this to happen. The date of introduction of such legislation is dependent on the length of time taken to complete the Section 30(2) Order and the new measures are to be rolled out in a phased manner, giving local authorities and bus operators time to adapt to the change.
Transport Scotland commissioned a review of the extent to which A Guide to Improving School Transport Safety, issued in 2010, has been used by local authorities, and how useful it is. The final report in relation to the Review was published on the Transport Scotland website on 5 March 2013. In addition, workshops were run in September and October 2013 to assist local authorities with developing appropriate approaches to school transport safety.
20 MPH Zones and Limits
Scotland's Road Safety to 2020 states that we will "Encourage local authorities to consider 20 mph zones in all residential areas." Many local authorities in Scotland have chosen to implement 20 mph zones and limits in residential areas in recent years, and the practice is becoming more widespread.
In addition, Transport Scotland assisted the City of Edinburgh Council (CEC) with the evaluation of its 20 mph speed limit pilot scheme in South Central Edinburgh. The pilot designated all side streets, and some of the main routes in the area, as 20 mph, without traffic calming measures. The trial ran for approximately one year from 23 March 2012, and the final report was issued on 27 August 2013. CEC indicated a significant degree of interest in their project from other local authorities, and we hope that evidence from this pilot will encourage them to widen this practice.
We are developing further guidance on 20 mph limits and zones in partnership with the Society of Chief Officers for Transportation in Scotland (SCOTS). This will provide greater clarity for local authorities on the options that are available to them when they are considering introducing 20 mph speed limits.
Section 30(2) Order, which is scrutinised in both the UK and Scottish Parliaments.
Transport Scotland commissioned a review of the extent to which A Guide to Improving School Transport Safety, issued in 2010, has been used by local authorities, and how useful it is. The final report in relation to the Review was published on the Transport Scotland website on 5 March 2013. In addition, workshops were run in September and October 2013 to assist local authorities with developing appropriate approaches to school transport safety.
20 MPH Zones and Limits
Scotland's Road Safety to 2020 states that we will "Encourage local authorities to consider 20 mph zones in all residential areas." Many local authorities in Scotland have chosen to implement 20 mph zones and limits in residential areas in recent years, and the practice is becoming more widespread.
In addition, Transport Scotland assisted the City of Edinburgh Council (CEC) with the evaluation of its 20 mph speed limit pilot scheme in South Central Edinburgh. The pilot designated all side streets, and some of the main routes in the area, as 20 mph, without traffic calming measures. The trial ran for approximately one year from 23 March 2012, and the final report was issued on 27 August 2013. CEC indicated a significant degree of interest in their project from other local authorities, and we hope that evidence from this pilot will encourage them to widen this practice.
We are developing further guidance on 20 mph limits and zones in partnership with the Society of Chief Officers for Transportation in Scotland (SCOTS). This will provide greater clarity for local authorities on the options that are available to them when they are considering introducing
20 mph speed limits.
Useful Links:
A Guide to Improving School Transport Safety