Speed Activated Traffic Lights - A75, Springholm: EIR release

Information requested

An update on the current status of the speed activated lights at Springholm on the A75 and have a few questions relating to the matter. In a letter dated August 4th 2021 I was informed by Alasdair Sim that evidence was still being gathered to pursue a change in the Traffic Signs Regulation and General Directions (TSRGD).

1) How many injury accidents were recorded for the five year period before the lights were installed? (31/12/2012 through 31/12/2017)

2) How many injury accidents were recorded for the near five year period since the trial began? (31/12/2017 through to the most recent available data)

3) How long was the trial period initially intended to last?

4) Has a pursuit to make a change in the TSRGD been undertaken or is one planned?

5) Are there any conditions under which the trial would be considered concluded without a pursuit to make a change in the TSRGD being made?

5b) If the trial was to be considered concluded without a successful change to the TSRGD being made, are there any plans regarding what would be done with the signals, road markings, barriers and associated equipment?

6) Has any data into the effects of air quality in the area been collected or considered, particularly in relation to the substantial increase in the number of vehicles accelerating back up to speed?

7) Are the traffic signals legally enforceable at this time?”

As the information you have requested is ‘environmental information’ for the purposes of the Environmental Information (Scotland) Regulations 2004 (EIRs), we are required to deal with your request under those Regulations. We are applying the exemption at section 39(2) of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 (FOISA), so that we do not also have to deal with your request under FOISA.

This exemption is subject to the ‘public interest test’. Therefore, taking account of all the circumstances of this case, we have considered if the public interest in disclosing the information outweighs the public interest in applying the exemption. We have found that, on balance, the public interest lies in favour of upholding the exemption, because there is no public interest in dealing with the same request under two different regimes. This is essentially a technical point and has no material effect on the outcome of your request.

Response

To aide with my response I have retained your numbering from your request above:

1) How many injury accidents were recorded for the five year period before the lights were installed? (31/12/2012 through 31/12/2017)

There have been 3 personal injury accidents recorded between 31 December 2012 and 31 December 2017. For information the lights were commissioned and operational on 11 December 2017.

2) How many injury accidents were recorded for the near five year period since the trial began? (31/12/2017 through to the most recent available data)

There were no personal injury accidents recorded in the five years after 31 December 2017 to 9 September 2022. Data is only currently available up to 9 September 2022.

3) How long was the trial period initially intended to last?

The gathering of data to analyse trends and evaluate the performance of road safety or speed management measures are normally carried out over a three year period. This is considered best practice within the road safety profession.

These traffic signals were installed as a trial in December 2017, with the final technical amendments to the installations being made in the summer of 2018.

Due to the reduced traffic levels over lockdown the trial period has been extended.

4) Has a pursuit to make a change in the TSRGD been undertaken or is one planned?

Transport Scotland has commenced the process to seek the necessary amendments to TSRGD. Transport Scotlands Operating Company for the South West, Amey, have been instructed to undertake a comprehensive and critical review of these signals and prepare an Evaluation Report. This forms the start of this process.

If the Reverse Speed Discrimination Signals are proven to be successful in managing driver behaviour in Springholm and Transport Scotland wish to use this speed management measure here and at other locations on the trunk road network, this will require amendment of the Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions (TSRGD) 2016 to make these signals enforceable like other traffic signals. Such amendment would require Scottish Ministers to make regulations under section 64 the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984. Section 134(7) and (8) of the 1984 Act provide that, before making regulations under section 64 of the 1994 Act, the Scottish Ministers require to consult with the Secretary of State and with such representative organisations as they see fit.

While the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 is not prescriptive with regard to the ways in which consultation must be conducted, Ministers’ duty to consult the Secretary of State and the representative organisations they see fit, must be executed in a meaningful way that stands up to scrutiny.

Scottish Ministers therefore require to be able to provide the Secretary of State and the representative organisations with information based on evidence, enabling them to provide informed and meaningful consultation responses. Similarly, the development of a policy document, showing how Transport Scotland would intend to use this speed management measure elsewhere on the trunk road network will also support informed and meaningful consultation responses.

5) Are there any conditions under which the trial would be considered concluded without a pursuit to make a change in the TSRGD being made?

No. For these traffic signals to remain in place permanently it will be necessary to gain the required amendment to the TSRGD.

5b) If the trial was to be considered concluded without a successful change to the TSRGD being made, are there any plans regarding what would be done with the signals, road markings, barriers and associated equipment?

If the evaluation of the trial does not consider these signals to be successful in managing driver behaviour or the required changes to the TSRGD cannot be made, it would be necessary to remove the signals, road markings, barriers and associated equipment.

6) Has any data into the effects of air quality in the area been collected or considered, particularly in relation to the substantial increase in the number of vehicles accelerating back up to speed?

No data on air quality changes have been recorded.

7) Are the traffic signals legally enforceable at this time?

As these traffic signals are not covered by the TSRGD, they are not currently enforceable by Police Scotland.

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