Priority Focus Areas: Further Activity

Priority Focus Areas: Further Activity

SPEED

Speed

20mph speed restrictions

The Scottish Government is committed to reducing risk on Scotland's roads and recognises the impact of vehicle speed. Originally produced in January 2015 in conjunction with the Society of Chief Officers of Transportation in Scotland (SCOTS), the Good Practice Guide on 20mph speed restrictions was updated in 2016. The Guide aims to ensure greater consistency on setting 20mph speed restrictions throughout Scotland and encourages Local Authorities to introduce them near schools, in residential zones and in other areas where there is a significant volume of pedestrian and/or cyclist activity.

In conjunction with SCOTS, Transport Scotland issued a survey to local authorities in June 2016 to ascertain what actions have been taken as a result of the 2012 speed limit review, and the extent to which Local Authorities have introduced 20mph limits or zones. The overwhelming majority of Local Authorities had implemented some speed limit changes, with eight having carried out a major/extensive implementation of 20mph zones or limits. For example, in 2016, Edinburgh City Council initiated the rollout of a city-wide 20mph scheme with an expected completion date of 2018.

A9 Average Speed Cameras

The A9 average speed camera system went live in October 2014 and the improvements in driver behaviour recorded following its introduction were maintained throughout 2016. The November 2016 data monitoring and analysis report shows sustained improvements in driver behaviour and a corresponding fall in collisions and casualties when compared to the baseline data. The report indicates that, based on a 12 month rolling average:

• The number of fatal casualties between Dunblane and Inverness is down by almost 43% compared to the baseline average.

• The number of 'fatal and serious' collisions between Dunblane and Inverness overall is down by almost 45%, with fatal and serious casualties down by almost 63%.

• There have been no fatal collisions between Dunblane and Perth with the number of serious collisions down by over 60% and serious casualties down by over 47%.

• The number of 'fatal and serious' collisions between Perth and Inverness is down by over 33%, with fatal and serious casualties down by 59%.

• The number of serious injury casualties between Perth and Inverness is down by almost 69%.

• The overall number of casualties of all classes between Dunblane and Inverness is down by 45%.

• The significantly reduced number of vehicles exceeding the speed limit continues to be sustained.

• The number of vehicles detected by the average speed camera system which were considered by Police Scotland for further action has remained constant at an extremely low average level of slightly more than 12 per day (less than 0.03% of the overall volume of vehicles using the route).

• The journey time variation from the established baseline between Perth and Inverness has remained consistent and within the projected estimated range.

• An average speed camera system will go live in the Autumn on the A90 between Dundee and Stonehaven. Replacing the existing fixed and mobile camera enforcement, we can expect the system to realise a similar range of improvements in reducing casualties and improving driver behaviour.

Road Safety Scotland

Around 55% of road deaths in Scotland take place on country roads, with driving too fast for the conditions being the most common cause. Road Safety Scotland (RSS) re-ran its "Don't Miss What's Round the Corner" campaign, whose message entails watching your speed on country roads.

Motorcyclists

Road Safety Scotland

In 2015, the "Live Fast Die Old" social media campaign was launched to target the 40-49 year old bikers who, at the time, accounted for 30% of bikers killed or seriously injured. Originally, the focus was on losing control on left-hand bends – the main manoeuvre which features in fatalities among older drivers – and last year saw the addition of overtaking.

Useful links:

www.transport.gov.scot/media/38640/20-mph-good-practice-guide-update-version-2-28-june-2016.pdf

http://a9road.info/safety-statistics/safety-cameras/

www.roadsafetyscotland.org.uk/

AGE

Pre-drivers

Road Safety Scotland

The evaluation of the "Go Safe with Ziggy" resource was carried out in 2016. The report concluded that the resource is fit-for-purpose as an early years road safety learning tool. Some minor adjustments to the ordering and distributing process may maximise uptake and reach, and a working group has been set up to take the recommendations forward.

The booklet Road Safety within Curriculum for Excellence provides teachers with a quick and easy reference to RSS resources and how these link with Curriculum for Excellence experiences and outcomes. The 2016-17 booklet was refreshed and distributed to all educational establishments across Scotland in November 2016.

In the 2015-16 school year, the theatre-in-education programme delivered 341 performances to a total audience of 23,741 across Scotland.

RSS promoted its learning resources at annual events, including the Scottish Learning Festival, Children in Scotland Conference and Scottish Book Trust Bookbug Conference. A review of RSS educational resources was initiated and findings will be available in 2017.

Transport Research Laboratory

The project, which began in 2016, will be completed in early 2017. It seeks to obtain a better understanding of how pre-driver interventions in Scotland are contributing to the Road Safety Framework overarching pre-driver outcome to improve road safety knowledge, positive attitudes and safer behaviours before individuals start driving. It also aims to inform future direction, investment and delivery of pre-driver interventions across Scotland. More specifically, Transport Research Laboratory intends to:

• Establish the prevalence of pre-driver interventions across Scotland.

• Understand the approaches taken and assumed mechanisms of effect for improving safety.

• Assess whether pre-driver interventions in Scotland meet good-practice conditions for maximising the likelihood to improve road safety (for example, via influencing known risk factors) and whether these are evaluated (and in what form).

• Identify examples of good-practice and provide recommendations for the development of a value driven, outcome based pre-driver intervention.

• Make recommendations for how to encourage evaluation of interventions.

Drivers aged 17 to 25 and older drivers

Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents Scotland

The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents Scotland (RoSPA Scotland) received funding to oversee and support a Steering Group tasked with managing and delivering Scottish Occupational Road Safety Alliance (ScORSA) activity. ScORSA's aim is to raise awareness of managing occupational road risk and to promote occupational road safety within Scotland through promoting the positive benefits of risk management. The funding will also ensure that RoSPA will continue to deliver the Scottish Qualifications Authority approved (level 7) qualification for road safety practitioners in Scotland, for which it has been awarded accredited delivery status. ScORSA activity covers a wide variety of areas, including younger and older drivers. For example, the ScORSA newsletters and information circulars provide information for these drivers, and specific areas of the ScORSA website are being developed to hold information and research on these age groups.

VULNERABLE ROAD USERS

Pedestrians and Cyclists

Road Safety Scotland

A small scale campaign, using the strapline "In town, slow down", was developed to try and influence drivers to watch out for pedestrians and cyclists in built-up areas. Work also began on developing this into a full social marketing campaign for 2017.

Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents Scotland

RSS agreed to fund RoSPA Scotland's In Car Safety project. The project aims to fulfil the Framework commitment RSF 17: "Continue to educate and encourage drivers to ensure that children are properly restrained in cars and vans". Its objective is to provide a requisite training programme for road safety professionals and others (mainly from the public sector) in the legislative and practical aspects of in car safety. RoSPA plans to deliver between 5 and 8 In Car Safety practical workshops throughout Scotland. These will include exhibiting an increased knowledge of legislation and factors impacting on In Car Safety, and demonstrating an ability to fit and advise on the safe fitting of child restraints.

Seatbelts on School buses

In 2016 work commenced on legislation for seat belts to become a legal requirement on all dedicated school transport in Scotland. 2017 is now seeing the Bill being introduced to the Scottish Parliament by Gillian Martin MSP and supported by the Scottish Government. The Bill will make seat belts a legal requirement on all dedicated home-to-school transport provided by local authorities, independent schools and grant-aided schools. It implements a 2016 manifesto commitment following powers devolved via a Scotland Act Order specifically on this issue in 2015 and takes forward the intentions of a former petition before the Scottish Parliament's Public Petitions Committee. Vehicles used for such dedicated school transport include buses, coaches, minibuses and taxis owned by the school authority or, as is more common, provided under contract with private companies. At least 17 councils in Scotland already stipulate seat belts in such contracts, but the Bill will ensure this good practice becomes universal as a matter of law, with the implementation date of 2018 for vehicles carrying primary pupils and 2021 for those transporting secondary pupils.