Improving road safety

The first meeting of the expert group on road safety was chaired by Transport Minister Stewart Stevenson today.

The group was set up earlier this year following provisional transport statistics which showed a 10 per cent rise in fatalities on Scotland's roads for 2006.

Following the meeting, Mr Stevenson said:

"This was a very positive first meeting in which we made progress towards developing a new 10 year road safety strategy for Scotland.

"This group brings together leading experts in the field and we have agreed further work which will help us to deliver solutions to make our roads safer.

"It is clear to all of us that far too many people die or are injured on Scotland's roads each year. Saving lives will require a serious approach to tackling the complex issues involved and resources to back it up.

"The group concluded that one meeting would not be enough to get to the bottom of the complex issues of road safety and as agreed when the panel was formed, there will be further meetings arranged at the earliest opportunity to put forward specific policy proposals to the Scottish Government.

"And this government will back up those proposals up with an extra £3 million being made available over the next three years to support the proposals this group will bring forward and to take forward a new road safety strategy for Scotland which will be published in the summer."

The group includes representatives from the police, road safety experts, a driver behaviour phychologist, and the children's commissioner.

They are:

• Chief Constable John Vine, ACPOS
• Neil Greig, Director, IAM Trust
• Michael McDonnell, Road Safety Scotland
• Steve Stradling, Professor of Transport Psychology, Napier University. Expert in driver behaviour.
• Jane Greer, Chair of Institute of Road Safety Officers and first policewoman in Fife to achieve a Class 1 Advanced Driving Certificate
• Dr Steve Lawson, Technical Director, Road Safety Foundation and European Road Assessment Programme (EuroRAP)
• Kathleen Marshall, Scotland's Commissioner for Children and Young People
• Bob McLellan, civil engineer with a doctorate in project/construction management. Head of transportation services at Fife Council and past Chair of the Society for Chief Officers of Transportation in Scotland (SCOTS) Engineering Committee

The full year analysis for 2006 was published yesterday, and although there has been no change in the top line figures, the Minister wants to take action to address the number of accidents across Scotland.