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Summary
Making Scotland's communities safer and stronger is one of five themes under which action will be taken to achieve the Scottish Government's Strategic Objectives. 1 Improving road safety is an important element in making communities safer places to live.
The Scottish Government is committed to making Scotland's roads safer for all road users and has set up a Panel of Experts to advise on measures that will contribute to reducing the tragic and wasteful toll of death and injury on the roads.
This consultation invites views on the following five themes:
Theme 1 - What should our priorities be?
A sample of road accident statistics and research findings provide an indication of some areas which give cause for concern. This section seeks views on issues which should be considered as priorities for action in the new road safety strategy, for example young people or rural roads.
Theme 2 - How should we address these priorities?
This theme provides examples of road safety initiatives undertaken by a range of organisations. Your comments are requested on these and on other possible measures to address the priorities identified in Theme 1.
Theme 3 - How should road safety be organised to deliver?
This section sets out the roles of the key organisations involved in road safety in Scotland. We would welcome comments on how best to ensure effective delivery of road safety objectives.
Theme 4 - How could road safety be funded more effectively?
The arrangements for the funding of road safety are explained and comments are sought on future funding arrangements.
Theme 5 - What can we learn from others?
Theme 5 provides examples of road safety initiatives in other countries. We are looking for ideas about other international initiatives, with proven effectiveness, which could be considered for possible use in Scotland.
BACKGROUND
GB road safety strategy and progress
In 2000, the UK Government, in association with the Scottish and Welsh devolved administrations, published ' Tomorrow's roads - safer for everyone' - a strategy designed to reduce the number of road casualties, alongside targets for casualty reductions in the period to 2010. The targets, compared with the average for 1994-98 are:
- a 40% reduction in the number of people killed or seriously injured
- a 50% reduction in the number of children killed or seriously injured
- a 10% reduction in the slight casualty rate, expressed as the number of people slightly injured per 100 million vehicle kilometres
In general, excellent progress has been made in Scotland towards achieving the casualty reduction targets set in 2000. By 2006, the number of people killed or seriously injured was 39% below the 1994-98 level, while the number of children killed or seriously injured was 30% below the average for 1994-98 and the slight casualty rate had declined by 25%. Nevertheless, casualties among certain types of road user have not fallen as much as would have been hoped and, in some cases, have increased from the 1994-98 level.
The significant level of casualty reduction achieved so far means that further reductions are likely to be more difficult to achieve and will demand innovative and effectively-targeted measures. Nevertheless, it is critical that we aspire to a better performance and have a clear goal to work towards.
In February 2007, the UK Government published a review of the strategy. It reported that good progress is being made on all these targets. Across Great Britain in 2006:
- the number of people killed or seriously injured was down 33%
- the number of children killed or serious injured was down 52%
- the slight casualty rate was down 28%
However, the review also highlighted that, despite the generally good progress, there are some areas of serious concern. The most pressing of these is the slow progress in reducing the number of deaths - only 11% below the 1994-98 baseline.
Other concerns include: an increase in accidents involving bad driver behaviour, such as loss of control; drink-drive deaths have been broadly unchanged for over a decade; about a third of people dying in road accidents were not wearing their seatbelts; inappropriate and excessive speed remains a significant problem; the groups which are more at risk include motorcyclists, young drivers and those who drive for work.
The actions identified in the strategy review include:
- increasing enforcement and publicity, not least on drink-driving and seatbelt wearing
- reviewing local speed limits, including encouragement of more 20mph zones in residential areas
- a fundamental reform of the driver training and testing system
- completing implementation of the Government's Motorcycling Strategy
- targeting both employers and employees through education, an outreach programme and publicity
The UK Government intends shortly to publish consultation documents on the reform of driver training and testing, drink-driving, and graduated penalties for speed offences.
In parallel with these measures to reduce casualties between now and 2010, the UK Government has also started work on devising a new road safety strategy for the years beyond 2010. The outline timetable for this work is:
- late 2007/early 2008: informal discussions with stakeholders
- spring/summer 2008: formal public consultation
- spring/summer 2009: publish new strategy
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