The Journey
The Journey
Meeting all of the 2020 Road Casualty Reduction Targets
The framework included five national casualty reduction targets, set for delivery in 2020.
The targets were deliberately challenging, with road deaths separated from serious injuries to achieve significant casualty reductions in four distinct areas.
All targets have not only been met, but exceeded, which is a huge achievement.
| Target | 2020 target reduction | 2020 achieved reduction |
|---|---|---|
| People killed | 40% | 52% |
| People seriously injured | 55% | 68% |
| Children (aged < 16) killed | 50% | 76% |
| Children (aged < 16) seriously injured | 65% | 77% |
| Slight injury rate per 100m vehicle kms | 10% | 67% |
An Efficient Governance Structure of the Framework at National Level
The framework is governed by two groups, the Strategic Partnership Board (SPB) and the Operational Partnership Group (OPG).
The SPB works in partnership with Ministers and senior partner organisations to ensure a strategic and joined-up partnership buy-in to the framework. The SPB is chaired by Transport Scotland's Roads Director, with director level representation from Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, NHS Scotland, The Society of Local Authority Chief Executives, Convention of Scottish Local Authorities and the Assistant Chief Constable – Operational Support of Police Scotland.
SPB members are responsible for considering outcome-based evaluations of partner activity and consider directing further activity based on the results. Members consider and scrutinise papers highlighting issues for consideration from the OPG. The SPB are also responsible for making decisions regarding the best use of the framework budget, including approval of specific proposals from partners.
OPG members are responsible for the monitoring, analysis and distillation of evidence and information on activities being undertaken by partners towards the delivery of the framework. The OPG has representation from a variety of organisations with vested interest in, road safety, such as Police Scotland, Scottish Ambulance Service, Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service, Society of Chief Officers of Transportation in Scotland, Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents, IAM Roadsmart, Cycling Scotland and more.
The OPG monitors progress against the road casualty reduction targets and key priority focus areas, as set out in the Mid-Term Review. OPG members are responsible for progressing relevant actions stemming from meetings and providing timely updates. They highlight any issues to the SPB providing any relevant recommendations for consideration. The OPG monitors and reviews an operational risk register, raising high-level risks for consideration by the SPB and proposes mitigating action. Members make recommendations to the SPB for areas where the framework budget might be spent to support its delivery.
Both the SPB and OPG meet biannually, with the minutes available on the Transport Scotland website.
Both groups ensure the framework follows an evidence-based, collaborative approach, with Transport Scotland working alongside local authorities, emergency services and third sector organisations.
Mid-Term Review
The Mid-Term Review, completed in 2016, assessed the progress made since the framework was published and for a baseline of the evidence to be established to measure progress towards the 2020 casualty reduction targets. The Review identified gaps in activity that needed to be addressed; for example, some revisions were made to existing commitments, and a new commitment on elderly pedestrian casualties was identified.
This allowed Transport Scotland and partners to concentrate efforts on areas where maximum impact could be achieved towards delivering the 2020 targets. This effort was supported by stronger partnership working and evidence-led decision-making.
The Review identified three priority focus areas of Age, Speed and Vulnerable Road Users.
This also recommended which indicators were to be adopted to track the achievement of the outcomes. These were designed to be specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and timely.
The Introduction of the Road Safety Framework and Evaluation Fund
The Road Safety Framework Fund was introduced in 2016 and was designed to promote and encourage further partnership working to help ensure the delivery of the framework.
Transport Scotland working in collaboration with partners identified that although many road safety initiative were taking place, there was not a full in-depth evaluation on the outcomes and the impact that these were having on road safety as a whole. The Road Safety Framework Evaluation Fund was therefore introduced in 2018 and has provided financial support to evaluate road safety initiatives.
The Road Safety Evaluation Fund focuses on the retrospective evaluation and the wider impact interventions are having on road safety. A robust, independent, and open evidence base helps provide clear evidence of the effectiveness and the impact our road safety interventions are having.
An understanding of how road safety interventions function – both in terms of their effectiveness in delivering outputs, aims and objectives, and the eventual broader impacts on road safety – is essential to inform strategic decision-making and the allocation of resources.
The OPG and SPB scrutinised the applications received for both the Road Safety Framework and Evaluation Fund.
Each initiative funded by the Road Safety Framework and Evaluation Fund focused on at least one of the three key priority areas: Age, Speed and Vulnerable Road Users.
Although casualties have decreased since the funds were introduced, it is difficult to evidence that these reductions can be only attributed to these funds.
All initiatives that received funding through the Road Safety Framework and Evaluation Fund are shared on the Transport Scotland Website.
Road Safety Partner Highlights
Drink driving was identified as a national Scottish priority of the Road Safety Framework to 2020. Driving under the influence of alcohol has a detrimental impact on one's driving. Drivers with blood alcohol content level (BAC) between 50 mg and 80 mg of alcohol per 100 ml of blood are 20 times more likely to be involved in a fatal collision, compared to sober drivers.
In Scotland on 5 December 2014, legislation came into effect lowering the drink-driving limit from 80 mg to 50 mg of alcohol per 100 ml of blood, with equivalent changes to the limits in breath or urine. This brought Scotland in line with the majority of other European countries. This meant Scotland was, and is now, firmly leading the way across the UK.
October 2019 saw the implementation of both Section 5A of the Road Traffic Act 1988 (which introduced new offences of driving or being in charge of a motor vehicle with concentration of a specified controlled drug above a specified limit) and the Drug Driving (Specified Limits) (Scotland Regulations) 2019 (which detailed the drug types to be included as part of the new offence and the associated limits for each drug type).
Police Scotland worked in close partnership with the Scottish Government, the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service and the Scottish Police Authority to deliver policies, procedures, communications plans, marketing campaigns and forensic capacity to support this new legislation.
Operational officers are now trained and equipped with roadside screening devices which are used to detect the presence of cannabis or cocaine at the roadside.
To support this, Road Safety Scotland (RSS) developed a suite of campaigns to improve driver behaviour and reduce risk on Scotland's roads. 'Drive Like Gran's In The Car', targets 20- to 29-year-old males and tackles issues such as speed, distraction, and drink/drug driving.
Drive Like Gran's In The Car along with another RSS campaign (Breathtaking Roads) were nominated and won the Prince Michael International Road Safety Awards.