Scotland's Road Safety Framework

Transport Scotland Road Safety Policy Team is responsible for helping to deliver Scotland’s Road Safety Framework to 2030 in partnership with key stakeholders.

Road safety policy and delivery will play an essential role in supporting a number of policies and help to achieve outcomes across a number of Strategic Priorities such as:

  • Climate Emergency – ‘healthier society, and a diversified, resilient and sustainable economy’
  • Active Travel Vision for Scotland
  • Scotland’s Public Health – ‘a Scotland where we live in vibrant, healthy and safe places and communities’
  • Justice Strategy for Scotland – ‘We live in safe, cohesive and resilient communities’
  • Education – assess and manage risk and understand the impact of risk-taking behaviour
  • National Performance Framework – ‘We live in communities that are inclusive, empowered, resilient and safe’
  • National Planning Framework – ‘A successful sustainable place, supporting economic growth, regeneration and the creation of well-designed places’

The Framework 2030

The Framework 2030 identifies the part everyone has to play in ensuring our long-term aspiration for Vision Zero to become a reality. It builds on the approach and actions set out in the first framework “Go Safe on Scotland’s Roads – It’s Everyone’s Responsibility”, published in 2009, and recognises the significant contribution made to meeting the 2020 casualty reduction targets.

Drawing on the latest evidence, it reflects recent successes and highlights key challenges for the immediate and longer-term. It sets out new, ambitious targets, key performance indicators and strategic actions for the next decade.

This helps to shape our collective effort, inspire collaboration and frame a shared vision for the future.

Our set up

Strategic Partnership Board (SPB)

The framework is governed by a Strategic Partnership Board (SPB) which is responsible for collective decisions on strategic approaches, identifying and resolving high-level problems and issues and public ownership of the framework and its delivery.

Operational Partnership Group (OPG)

A supporting Operational Partnership Group (OPG) at senior official level. It has representation from a variety of organisations with a remit for, or vested interest in, road safety.

Local Partnership Forums (LPFs)

In order to improve communications between national and local level, the new framework introduced a third governance tier.

Transport Scotland has four road safety teams:

Road Safety Policy:
Responsible for helping to deliver Scotland’s Road Safety Framework to 2030 in partnership with key stakeholders.

Trunk Road Casualty Reduction:
Responsible for monitoring the safety performance of the trunk road network as well as analysing injury accident data and have ‘The Strategic Road Safety Plan’ which sets out how Transport Scotland delivers road safety on the trunk road network.

Road Safety Scotland:
Responsible for the development of road safety education materials which provide an end-to-end education and training programme in road safety starting from early years and continuing throughout the school curriculum and beyond. They are also responsible for the development of targeted road safety campaigns.

The Scottish Safety Camera Programme:
Through targeted safety camera enforcement and improving driver behaviour, the purpose of the Scottish Safety Camera Programme is to contribute to Scotland’s road safety vision and road safety targets as set out in the Scottish Government’s Road Safety Framework.

Examples where Transport Scotland Road Safety Policy have led on interventions

Here are just a few of the ways we’ve helped improve Scotland’s roads safety:

The Seat Belts on School Transport (Scotland) Act 2017

The Act imposes a duty upon school authorities to ensure dedicated school transport services have a seat belt fitted to every passenger seat. The act came into force on the 1 August 2018 for vehicles carrying primary pupils, and in 2021 for those transporting secondary students.

Devolution of powers to set national speed limits

The Scotland Act 2016 saw a welcomed devolution of the last remaining powers over speed limits; notably the 30mph default limit for urban areas. Plus, powers on signage and engineering under the Traffic Signs Regulation and General Directions.

Drink-driving

On 5 December 2014, legislation came into effect lowering the drink-driving limit from 80mg to 50mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood – with equivalent changes to the limits in breath or urine. This brought Scotland into line with the majority of other European countries. It also means Scotland now firmly leads the way in the UK.

20 mph zones and limits

The Good Practice Guide on 20 mph aims to ensure greater consistency on setting 20 mph speed restrictions throughout Scotland. In particular it encourages local authorities to introduce them near schools, in residential zones and in other areas where there is a significant volume of pedestrian and/or cyclist activity.

Road Safety Annual Report

Each year an Annual Report is produced summarising Scotland’s road safety achievements.

The work we do is wide and varied. Together with the help of everyone in Scotland; we’re helping save lives.