Scotland's Road Safety Framework wins international acclaim

The national framework has been recognised for its outstanding achievements and strong collaboration with partners.

Since its inception in 2009 it has delivered many successes at both national and local level with targeted action such as the lowering of the drink-drive limit and a focus on increasing seatbelt usage.

The Road Safety Framework to 2020 sets out challenging casualty reduction targets and a partnership approach towards a vision of zero fatalities and reduced serious injuries on Scotland’s roads. The judges of the award recognised following the 2015 milestone point that the Framework remains on target to achieve these reductions.

Humza Yousaf, Minister for Transport and The Islands said:

“I am pleased that Scotland’s national strategy has been recognised for the significant achievements that it has delivered over the years built on a basis of strong partnership working.

“The Scottish Government is committed, through Scotland’s Road Safety Framework to 2020, to achieving safer road travel in Scotland.

“At a time when Great Britain elected to move away from national target-setting, preferring more localism, Scotland recognised the evidence which demonstrated that those countries which set targets achieved greater casualty reductions than those which did not. 

“However, until we have achieved the Framework’s ultimate vision, where fatalities on our roads are eradicated, we must never be complacent.

“That is why we conducted a mid-term review of the Framework which recognised the progress made since 2009, and three key priority focus areas around speed, age and vulnerable road users for activity through to 2020 to ensure we continue to make progress towards the casualty reduction targets.”

Note to editors

The Road Safety Framework was published in 2009 and set out 8 national priorities which are underpinned by 96 specific commitments which seek to help Scotland deliver the challenging 2020 targets.

It is a broad ranging document that allows local partners the flexibility to address issues in their area under an overarching national approach.

The powers to set a different Scottish drink drive limit were devolved in 2012 and the limit was lowered in 2014, resulting in changes in attitude towards drink driving and drops in levels of offending. Recent observations of seatbelt usage have shown rates that are much improved and higher than the observed rates in England and Wales, which were measured as part of the same study.

2015 road casualty data, published in October 2016, showed that, of the four principal casualty reduction targets set in the Framework, three are being exceeded at the 2015 milestone point – namely, fatalities, child fatalities and child serious injuries. On the fourth target, reducing the number of people seriously injured, figures show a continued downward reduction of 39% against the baseline. This is marginally above the 2015 milestone but still a significant step towards the 2020 target.

Prince Michael International Road Safety Awards recognise outstanding achievement and innovations www.roadsafetyawards.com