Road Safety Framework - Operational Partnership Group (OPG) - meeting minutes - 12 March 2025

Attendance

Members

• George Henry (GH) (Chair) Transport Scotland Road Policy and Safety
• Steven Feeney (SF) Transport Scotland Road Safety Policy
• Michelle Little (ML) Transport Scotland Road Safety Policy
• Michael McDonnell (MM) Transport Scotland Road Safety Scotland
• Andrew Barclay (AB) Police Scotland
• Michelle Van der stighelen (MV) Transport Scotland Safety Camera Programme
• Timothy Hooper (TH) Scottish Trauma Network
• Stephen Bridgman (SB) Public Health Scotland
• Stewart Mackie (SM) IAM RoadSmart
• Keith Irving (KI) Cycling Scotland
• Tommy Keay (TK) Scottish Fire and Rescue Service
• Caroline Brearley (CB) Scottish Ambulance Service
• Chris Thomson (CT) Living Streets Scotland
• Helene Mauchlen (HM) British Horse Society
• Karen McDonnell (KM) RoSPA
• Ryan Gilbert (RG) Transport Scotland Comms
• Fred O’Hara (FO) Transport Scotland Road Policy
• Andrew Paterson (AP) Transport Scotland Statistics
• Stevie Reid (SR) Police Scotland
• Craig Cameron (CC) Transport Scotland Active Travel & Bus
• Catherine Heeney (CH) Transport Scotland Research

In Attendance

• Ben McKenna (BM) Transport Scotland Road Safety Policy

Secretariat

• Hannah Green (HG) Transport Scotland Road Safety Policy

Apologies

• Fay McNicol (FM) Scottish Ambulance Service
• Anne Docherty (AD) Living Streets Scotland
• Amy Philips (AP) Transport Scotland Active Travel
• Lynne Mason (LM) Road Haulage Association
• Nina Day (ND) Health and Safety Executive
• Stuart Wilson (SW) Transport Scotland Safety and Development
• Alistair Ross (AR) Association of British Insurers
• Ewan Wallace (EW) SCOTS

Welcome

The Chair welcomed the OPG members to the meeting and proceeded with a round table introduction of new members.

Minutes and Actions

The minutes of the previous meeting on 26 November 2024 were agreed as an accurate record of discussion. Most actions from the previous meeting were complete, however six outstanding asks are;

Public Health Scotland to supply an overview of funding proposal to gather A&E data

Owner: Stephen Bridgman

Status: Ongoing

Update: Members are to note PHS and TS are looking to onboard a health analyst to gather and analyse the health data which is not yet being reviewed. Chair informed members a data working group will be established with aspirations of sharing reports through the governance groups. Police, health and insurance data will feed into the data working group.

Road Safety Scotland and Public Health Scotland to engage to discuss quadbike safety

Owner: Michael McDonnell/ Stephen Bridgman/ Caroline Hay

Status: Ongoing

Update: Meeting is still to be set, Secretariat to assist in this matter.

Raise alcolocks being fitted to convicted drink drivers vehicles with UK Government

Owner: Chair

Status: Closed

Update: Chair advised this issue was raised with UK Government who have no plans to consider until UKG have published their Road Safety Strategy. Members are to note there is no publication date set.

Owner: TS Road Policy - Fred O’Hara

Status: Closed

Update: Legislation brought into force in December 2023, allowing local authorities to enforce by issuing Penalty Charge Notices to anyone parked on a pavement.

There are 17 local authorities who actively enforcing the new legislation. The most recent additions are Glasgow City, North Lanarkshire, Perth & Kinross and South Lanarkshire Councils. An estimated 75% of the Scottish population are covered by the local authorities who are now actively ticketing.

Of the 17 local authorities, only one did not previously have Decriminalised Parking Enforcement powers.

Transport Scotland is working closely with all authorities, CoSLA and SCOTS to ensure local authorities are able to commence enforcement at the earliest opportunity.

PHS to invite TS to the next Public Health Scotland data meeting to give update on road casualty figures

Owner: Stephen Bridgman/ Andrew Paterson

Status: Ongoing

Update: Those in PHS will issue an invite shortly to Andrew Paterson.

Chair advised members Katrina Caldwell is moving to a new post within government and thanks were given to Katrina for all the work and support she has provided to the OPG.

Secretariat to update risk register e-scooter risk and circulate to members

Owner: Secretariat

Status: Ongoing

Update: Risk register will be updated ahead of the next OPG.

Road Safety Update

Strategic Partnership Board (SPB)

The Strategic Partnership Board, chaired by the Cabinet Secretary for Transport on 6^th March. The minutes are currently being reviewed and these will be shared with members once published.

The Cabinet Secretary for Transport emphasised how it is imperative that road safety partners continue to work in collaboration.

The board agreed that as we are now at the midpoint of the Road Safety Framework 2030, a mid-term review of key performance indicators and road safety delivery will be undertaken as well as a review of what high performing countries are doing.

Board members agreed that In depth road traffic fatality research remains a top priority and wish to see 2021-24 completed as soon as possible.

There has been an ask from the board for Transport Scotland to consider a Communication Working Group.

Fourth Global Ministerial Conference

An update was provided by the Chair on the Fourth Global Ministerial Conference on Road Safety in Marrakech, Morocco in February, with the theme of "Commit to Life", It brought leaders and experts together to accelerate action towards the Sustainable Development Goals’ target of halving global road deaths by 2030.

Chair also attended the 3rd World Health Organisation Meeting of Heads of Road Safety Agencies, along with 1-2-1 side meetings with the World Health Organisation, World Bank, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland to name a few. 

National Speed Management Review

An update was provided on the National Speed Management Review. The review has proposed a reduction in the national speed limit for motor vehicles on single carriageway roads from 60 mph to 50 mph and an increase in speed limits for goods vehicles over 7.5 tonnes from 40 mph to 50 mph on single carriageways and from 50 mph to 60 mph on dual carriageways.

A public consultation took place from 27 November 2024 to 5 March 2025, with over 20 in person and online events, the consultation received over 19,000 responses. Transport Scotland will now carefully analyse the feedback, with findings and recommendations to be published later this year. This will be shared with members once finalised.

In-Depth Fatalities Research

An update was provided on the In-depth road traffic fatality research.

The motorcycle road traffic fatality report is currently in a draft state and being considered for approval by the Road Traffic Fatality Steering Group. When approved in the coming months it will be circulated to members and wider road safety stakeholders. The recommendations of the motorcycle road traffic fatality report will become a delivery plan of the motorcycle working group who will agree a way forward.

The next step will be to bring the original report up to date and to identify any pre-pandemic patterns that may or may not be happening now.

SB offered support to the motorcycle working group from a health perspective when taking the recommendations further.

KI asked if there was a timescale set for the 21-24 research and for the data to be shared prior to the recommendations.

It was noted the SPB has an expectation of the initial findings to be shared before the board and OPG meet again in June 2025.

Road Safety Funding

It was noted in the five years since 2019-20, annual investment in road safety has more than doubled from £16 million to £36 million in 2024-25. With an earmarked £48m for road safety in the 2025/26 Scottish Budget (33% increase), with is split across many road safety teams within Transport Scotland. With the increase in budget the challenge to spend the budget in the right way in the right places also increases.

Road Safety Improvement Fund

£10m was dedicated to the Road Safety Improvement Fund (RSIF) in 2024/25 which has increased to £12.25m in the 2025/26 indicative budget, with a possible addition of £2m. RSIF allocation letters will be issued to local authorities ahead of the go-live date in April.

Road Safety Framework Fund

The previous Road Safety Framework Fund (RSFF) applications for 2024-25 are progressing well, the Road Safety Policy team are in regular contact with project managers ensuring that milestones and targets are being met. The evaluations will be shared with the OPG once received.

A new call for bids for the 2025/26 RSFF went live on 23rd December and closed at midnight on 19th March. Applications will be shared with this group for consideration and comment before funding approval.

Members are advised to note that all funding is still subject to the AO approval process which is currently ongoing.

OPG Progress Report

2024 - Provisional Road Casualty Statistics

Police Scotland highlighted the 2024 figures have been shared with members within the progress report, and asked members to note that the figures are subject to change.

Chair invited members to discuss the 2024 statistics and the provisional data laid out in the progress report.

Points raised during the discussion:

• The 2024 data within the progress report is similar to 2015, however in the years prior to 2015, there was a steep drop in fatalities with a plateau happening now.
• The continued rise in vehicle kilometres will continue to impact the casualty data.
• KI has joined the PACTS Board of Trustees (Parliamentary Advisory Committee on Transport Safety).
• The data is clear about the role of driver behaviour and society issues, these aspects show how important the deliverables are and specifically for road policing, as there is a limit to what other organisations can do. The recommendations from the HMICS report that need to be delivered include the Road Traffic Diversionary Courses (RTDC) and journey cam footage.
• The way in which road safety is viewed by the public needs to be addressed, as it is a public health and sustainability issue.
• The role of behaviour scientists within the governance structure as, at present, the only aspect which includes a behavioural change psychologist is the campaign work done by Road Safety Scotland.
• Living Streets is working alongside schools to look at sustainable journeys to school and the impact on establishing good behaviours earlier.
• The impact schemes such as concessionary bus travel for those under 22 have on the road casualty data.
• Road Safety Scotland learning resources have recently been redeveloped, but there is no system in Scotland which can enforce their use.

Chair informed members there has been a meeting with the Home Office in relation to the RTDC, there is an aim for the legislation to be in place by the end of the year. Members are to note that a Parliamentary slot is still to be secured.

Journey Cam work is also progressing as discussions surrounding the policy and procedures are ongoing. There will also be a national campaign to promote it to the public.

Chair asked members to consider if a representative from Education Scotland should join the OPG.

2025 - Police Management Information Data

An update was provided by Police Scotland on the latest management information data for 2025, noting that Police Scotland continues to monitor the analytical data. Data provided covered the 2024/25 fiscal year.

Members to note the Police Scotland motorcycle campaign has been brought forward and is due to launch on 20^th March 2025.

Members were asked to consider which data set should be provided, fiscal year or calendar year to date.

Communications Handling Plan

An update was provided on the Comms Handling Plan.

The headline announcements delivered since the last meeting in November 2024 include:

• The launch of the public consultation on the National Speed Management Review.
• £14m funding for local authorities to improve road safety.
• Publication of guidance for the implementation of 20mph zones.
• The launch of Road Safety Scotland’s Seatbelts campaign and Driver Distraction campaign.

A request was made for all members to share these campaigns via their social media channels, with consideration to where the TS Comms team can support all road safety partners in their projects and schemes etc.

It was highlighted to members the next meeting of the Cross Parliamentary Group on Accident Prevention and Safety Awareness will focus on road safety and will be held on 1^st April 2025.

Deliverables

Chair highlighted the deliverables which have not been delivered in 2024/25.

TS will hold one-to-one meetings with all partners to ensure we have a comprehensive delivery plan for 2025/26.

AOB & Next Meeting

AOB

Chair highlighted the issue of drivers joining meetings using handsfree while driving – what are insurers’, and particularly workplace fleet insurers’, policies or potential policies on holding meetings while driving cars. This will be discussed in fuller with RoSPA and ABI.

Anti-social driving behaviour is becoming a controversial topic and Road Policy team is looking into matters.

Next meeting

Will be held Wednesday 18^th June in person at Victoria Quay at 10:00 – 12:30.