Agenda item

Consider report by Chief Officer Roads giving an update on reported road casualties in 2016 and progress towards meeting the Scottish Government casualty reduction targets (copy attached).

2.1      There had been circulated copies of a report by the Chief Officer Roads giving an update on reported road casualties in 2016 and on progress towards meeting the Scottish Government casualty reduction targets. The report explained that in June 2009 the Scottish Government set revised targets for accident reduction across a number of key headings.  The base taken for this was the 2004 – 08 annual average and the target reduction was by the year 2020 with interim targets set for 2015.  The five areas identified as national reduction targets were:- the number of people killed in road accidents; the number of people seriously injured in road accidents; the number of children under 16 killed in road accidents; the number of children seriously injured in road accidents; and the slight injury accident rate.  The national position was generally positive based on the official 2015 figures, with reductions continuing to be shown across all the accident reduction areas identified and all but the second category outlined currently exceeding the interim 2015 reduction targets. Provisional 2016 figures, however, indicated some worrying increases in key categories. At a local Scottish Borders level, 2016 was a disappointing year with a rise on previous years in the overall number of fatal and serious injuries as well as in the number of serious injuries to children.  Consolidation of the figures for the last few years however suggests that the long-term trend of road-accident casualty reduction in the Scottish Borders area continues.

2.2       The Network Manager, Mr Brian Young, gave further information about progress against individual targets and answered Members’ questions.  With regard to causations and contributory factors he advised that the amount of information received from Police Scotland depended on the reporting level at each particular accident.  It should be noted also that only injury accidents were recorded and notified by the police. The Chief Executive advised Members that she met with the Police regularly to discuss the deployment of police resources across the Scottish Borders, including planned interventions.  It would be possible to get some statistics at a local level and she offered to bring a report back to the Executive Committee in the autumn on police activity, education, campaigns and crack downs. With regard to road engineering factors, in the majority of cases accidents were not shown to be linked to road surface or conditions but the Council’s Accident Investigation and Prevention (AIP) team’s ‘Moving Cursor’ programme identified crash cluster sites and investigated any common trends and patterns.  Where appropriate, proposals for remedial measures would be prepared for the team’s consideration.  It was recognised that the general downward trend in the number of accidents locally and nationally could be due to a host of factors.  However Scottish Borders Council would continue to take forward educational and other initiatives with a view to changing road user behaviour and attitudes.    With regard to ongoing work in schools, a representative from Children and Young People’s Services sat on the multi-partnership Scottish Borders Road Safety Working Group, the overarching body looking at road safety and vehicle accident prevention in the area.

DECISION

AGREED:-

(a)        to note the position with respect to injury accidents in 2016 and the progress that was being made in relation to meeting the Scottish Government targets for road casualty reduction;

(b)       to endorse the proposals for accident prevention going forward as follows:-

(i)         to continue to concentrate Accident Investigation and Prevention resources on locations identified through the moving cursor programme;

(ii)        to submit, as justified, proposals for more substantial schemes for inclusion in future Capital Programmes;

(iii)       that broader elements such as education, encouragement and communications, would continue to be addressed through the Scottish Borders Road Safety Working Group; in particular maintaining close liaison with Police Scotland in terms of appropriate enforcement as necessary; and

 (c)       to note that the Chief Executive would bring a report to the Executive Committee in the autumn on police activity in the Scottish Borders.