The Scottish Government has set out its vision to have the best road safety performance in the world by 2030 – along with an ‘ambitious’ long term goal to eliminate deaths and injuries by 2050.
The Road Safety Framework to 2030 sets out new strategic outcomes, built around the safe system approach, coupled with a ‘comprehensive performance management system’ to monitor and evaluate progress.
Its main goals are to halve road deaths by 2030 and achieve Vision Zero by 2050.
To help achieve this, mode specific targets are being created to focus attention by partners on priority areas – and stronger connections will be forged between policies at national and local levels.
To coincide with the new framework – and to kick-start a national conversation around road safety – a new national marketing campaign has been launched by the Scottish Government and Road Safety Scotland.
The campaign focuses on speed reduction – with the clear message that there is no excuse for speeding.
Michael Matheson, cabinet secretary for transport, infrastructure and connectivity, said: “The Scottish Government is committed to improving road safety and our new framework aims to halve road deaths by 2030 and achieve Vision Zero by 2050.
“Deaths or serious injuries on our road network are not an inevitability. Our strong belief, shared by Scotland’s road safety partners, is that even one death on our roads is one too many.
“Our previous framework approach has been successful. I know this brings no comfort to those who have lost loved ones, but the latest figures show that casualties on Scotland’s roads are at the lowest levels since records began.
“We’ve seen a 35% increase in traffic over the past 25 years and a 66% decrease in road collisions across the same period.
“We need to build on what we’ve achieved and our new framework will do so through a sharper focus, improved evaluation, mode specific targets and stronger connections between national and local levels.
“At the same time, it aims to support wider policy objectives, such as tackling the climate emergency by supporting a shift away from cars and towards walking, wheeling and cycling for shorter everyday journeys.”
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