Road Accidents (Hansard, 23 July 1993)

§ Lord James Douglas-Hamilton

The Government have set a target of reducing road accident casualties by one third by the year 2000. I am very glad to say that substantial progress has been made in reducing fatal and serious casualties. In 1992, these had been reduced by 37 per cent. from the baseline (the average casualty numbers between 1981 and 1985). Progress has been slower with total casualties. These are down 11 per cent. from the baseline. Much therefore remains to be done to meet the challenging one-third target.

The casualty reduction target can only be tackled by multi-disciplinary and multi-agency effort. Central 495W Government work closely with local government, with the police and with the specialised road safety organisations in the fields of engineering enforcement and education.

Analyses have already identified the vulnerable road users in Scotland, and actions are in hand to improve safety amongst them. The Scottish Office Education Department and the Scottish Road Safety Campaign have taken initiatives to improve the road safety training and education of school age children, particularly as pedestrians but also as pedal cyclists. Hard hitting television advertising is being broadcast to target the most vulnerable school age pedestrians, namely boys between 8 and 14-years-old. For the pre-school age group, the Scottish Road Safety Campaign has produced a videofilm of simple safety rules for showing in playgroups and nurseries. The video is complemented by a leaflet for parents. The Scottish Office is taking independent advice from consultants on the options for creating a Children's Traffic Club for three to five-year-olds in Scotland. For the elderly, road safety messages are being placed on public transport and on posters for issue through local road safety officers and social work departments. Later in the year, elderly people will be provided with reflective shopping bags to carry as a conspicuity aid.

Most pedestrian casualties happen on local roads and local authorities are being encouraged to draw up safety plans and to undertake local safety schemes to tackle these problems. The Scottish Office supports these efforts by helping to underpin local accident, investigation and prevention units, and by the adoption of policies—particularly relating to vehicle speed—designed to promote traffic calming. The Scottish Office has issued revised criteria for setting speed limits on local roads, and is taking part in an examination of ways to reduce vehicle speeds through villages. Guidance has been issued on the

	1988	1989	1990	1991	1992
	Total reports submitted	No prosecutions	Cases proceeding to court	Total reports submitted	No prosecutions	Cases proceeding to court	Total reports submitted	No prosecutions	Cases proceeding to court	Total reports submitted	No prosecutions	Cases proceeding to court	Total reports submitted	No prosecutions	Cases proceeding to court
Aberdeen	14,203	1,536	8,033	14,411	820	8,468	15,334	1,079	8,723	17,460	996	10,121	16,689	1,135	9,978
Airdrie	9,544	640	5,823	9,295	768	5,345	9,771	715	5,531	9,909	762	6,118	9,383	816	5,451
Alloa	2,924	343	1,784	3,226	306	1,826	3,526	400	2,004	3,702	443	1,835	3,856	332	2,002
Abroath	2,537	229	1,613	2,644	152	1,732	3,232	170	1,868	3,249	196	1,708	3,828	263	1,722
Ayr	10,274	1,344	5,285	11,953	1,175	4,646	11,734	950	5,171	11,936	1,002	5,153	11,270	819	5,439
Banff	1,198	93	757	1,140	59	681	1,385	59	743	1,786	119	931	1,600	90	872
Campbeltown	776	67	610	803	78	653	750	94	559	954	93	696	831	64	591
Cupar	2,994	265	1,818	3,288	274	1,529	3,021	221	1,540	2,793	228	1,328	3,219	265	1,543
Dingwall	1,885	270	1,140	1,969	179	1,519	2,048	201	1,557	1,992	126	1,547	1,951	147	1,476
Dornoch	598	48	446	660	44	437	598	57	462	603	57	457	601	56	432
Dumbarton	8,691	809	5,347	9,137	602	5,563	9,813	654	5,385	10,363	842	5,784	9,379	1,152	4,998
Dumfries	8,270	273	6,770	7,073	288	5,653	8,330	259	6,089	9,016	334	6,615	9,873	376	5,778
Dundee	13,600	1,082	9,257	13,812	2,261	8,654	15,688	2,664	8,226	14,885	1,941	9,442	14,059	1,361	8,233
Dunfermline	8,939	1,325	4,076	8,395	615	4,493	8,115	771	4,018	8,527	1,008	4,458	8,843	780	5,074
Dunoon	1,337	196	978	1,463	185	996	1,548	173	972	1,528	122	894	1,494	120	982
Duns	1,720	188	630	1,388	93	430	1,897	130	772	2,001	140	626	2,181	133	607
Edinburgh	37,651	4,933	21,748	41,411	4,029	23,426	39,355	4,321	23,375	36,113	3,233	21,229	36,747	2,914	21,782
Elgin	4,485	688	2,092	4,956	530	2,494	5,179	617	2,094	5,431	478	2,563	4,704	445	2,242
Falkirk	9,801	1,976	4,761	11,329	1,606	4,852	10,578	1,576	4,235	11,412	1,683	4,889	11,470	1,600	5,025
Forfar	3,459	37	1,950	3,403	125	1,803	3,734	99	2,027	4,112	47	1,796	3,882	54	1,758
Fort William	1,732	122	1,184	1,804	118	1,170	1,635	95	1,117	1,691	112	1,281	1,809	87	1,184
Glasgow	74,001	18,514	37,741	82,948	19,066	42,599	84,162	14,377	42,181	85,936	10,298	44,265	86,156	10,411	44,385
Greenock	6,268	762	3,838	7,573	406	3,729	7,461	535	3,388	7,403	441	3,514	7,516	493	3,305
Haddington	4,380	606	2,211	4,785	466	2,534	4,131	571	1,830	3,769	434	2,190	4,491	396	2,500
Hamilton	26,097	4,271	13,261	28,404	2,486	16,095	28,539	2,264	17,009	27,301	2,310	16,297	26,136	2,427	15,947
Inverness	7,234	655	4,486	6,593	625	4,126	7,558	582	4,912	8,429	547	5,512	8,606	672	5,156
Jedburgh	1,772	238	945	1,872	138	1,050	1,981	209	837	2,358	219	1,002	2,436	230	849
Kilmarnock	12,750	1,530	6,911	14,099	1,164	8,303	13,708	1,025	7,522	13,453	956	7,942	12,921	1,290	6,930
Kirkcaldy	10,053	1,217	5,517	9,443	517	5,814	8,760	456	5,890	9,117	545	5,958	9,536	780	5,278
Kirkcudbright	1,377	33	985	1,411	35	1,152	1,663	65	1,145	1,876	61	1,338	2,018	54	1,158
Kirkwall	681	78	584	664	56	591	662	60	512	676	86	450	757	96	492
Lanark	4,980	574	1,975	5,254	1,194	2,667	4,973	495	2,944	6,784	402	4,279	6,717	523	3,999
Lerwick	913	129	564	1,007	137	516	1,178	115	577	996	160	436	883	107	418
Linlithgow	8,631	575	5,594	9,928	457	6,243	10,053	337	6,212	9,255	347	6,225	9,017	395	5,971
Lochmaddy	312	8	262	244	13	191	236	19	162	241	10	188	270	18	215
Oban	1,299	123	932	1,174	74	896	1,208	84	846	1,189	75	879	1,177	109	852

496W

creation of 20 mph speed limit zones, on variable speed limits, and on the introduction of automatic cameras to detect speed and red light offenders. Traffic calming regulations are being prepared to clarify the types of speed reducing engineering measures which are acceptable. It is expected that traffic calming will have much to contribute towards casualty reduction in urban and rural situations.