HC Deb 23 July 1993 vol 229 cc494-6W
Mr. David Marshall

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what he intends to do to reduce road accident casualties among(a) children under five years of age, (b) children of five to 16 years of age, (c) pensioners and (d) pedestrians in (i) rural areas and (ii) urban areas; and if he will make a statement.

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 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

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.

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