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Coronavirus (COVID-19): international travel

Planning foreign travel and information on travel rules.

This document is part of a collection

• Coronavirus (COVID-19): guidance

Visiting Scotland from another country

There are no covid travel rules in place for people arriving in Scotland from abroad.

You do not need to:

• complete a Passenger Locator Form
• take any covid tests before you leave for Scotland, or after you arrive
• isolate when you arrive

Normal travel rules apply.

When returning home or travelling to other countries outside Scotland, you should check your own government’s travel advice for further help. Even though Scotland does not have covid travel rules, other countries may.

If you live in Scotland and you're travelling abroad

Even though Scotland’s rules have ended, other countries may still have travel rules in place. If you live in Scotland, you should  check GOV.UK’s foreign travel advice   for every country you're planning to visit.

COVID-19 vaccination for travel is only available if you’re traveling to a country that requires proof of coronavirus vaccination for entry and you do not have the number of doses required. There are very few countries in the world that require proof of COVID status to enter. Most countries have no requirements at all, and some will allow you to enter if you take a coronavirus test prior to travel.

If you need a coronavirus vaccine, please contact your local health board to discuss your circumstances.

If you need to prove which vaccinations you’ve had when you arrive in another country, you can normally use your NHS Scotland COVID Status app to do this.

Future changes to travel advice

New covid travel rules in Scotland, or any other country, may be brought in at short notice. You should always check the latest advice for each country you’re planning to travel to before booking your trip and before you go.

Central Enquiry Unit Email:  [email protected] Phone: 0300 244 4000

The Scottish Government St Andrew's House Regent Road Edinburgh EH1 3DG

Updated section 'if you live in Scotland and you are travelling abroad'.

Amended information note about travel relating to China to include advice to check the gov.uk foreign travel advice page.

Added line about travel (or return) by plane from mainland China to Scotland via England and requirement to take a pre-departure COVID-19 test.

Removed redundant information regarding rules.

Updated to reflect the end of Scotland's COVID-19 international travel rules.

Added update about Scotland's travel rules ending at 4am, 18 March. Also, red list travel page taken offline.

Updated with changes to fully vaccinated travel rules, non-fully vaccinated travel rules and travel exemptions.

Added announcement of upcoming changes for all travellers from 4am, 11 February.

Updated with latest rules for fully vaccinated travellers, including choice of day 2 lateral flow tests rather than PCR.

Updated to include changes to rules for fully vaccinated travellers.

Updated to include upcoming changes to rules for fully vaccinated travellers.

Updated to remove all countries from Scotland's red list.

Added announcement all countries to be removed from red list.

Removed lines that said children (under 18) do not need to isolate.

Updated to reflect pre-departure test extension to everybody aged 12 and over.

Nigeria added to red list.

Updated to reflect 2 announcements: Nigeria to move to red list and extension of pre-departure testing requirements.

Updated to reflect PCR testing requirement.

Added upcoming rule changes for fully vaccinated travellers.

Added more detail for hotel booking process for arrivals from red list countries.

Added information that 6 African countries will be added to red list from 26 November.

Link to foreign travel advice on overview page amended to point to https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice.

Amended overview page to make clear who the guide is for and better links between pre-arrival tests and fully vaccinated rules.

Changes to sectoral exemptions page transport categories - aircraft pilots/crew, ship inspectors, bus/coach drivers, goods vehicles drivers. Also information about clinical trials added to not fully vaccinated page.

Changes made to Overview page.

Changes to Overview, Testing for people travelling to Scotland and Managed and self-isolation: what you must do.

Revised guide layout to make the information clearer and separated out red list rules into its own page.

Added Ethiopia section to Testing rules for travelling to Scotland page.

Minor changes made to not fully vaccinated over 18's information on Red/non-red countries page.

Red and non-red list rules page updated.

Updated text about getting help to pay for hotel quarantine/testing packages.

Updated the guide to reflect that no countries are on the red list.

Updated to reflect option of booking lateral flow tests for fully vaccinated travellers and 11 to 17 year olds entering Scotland.

Minor change to 'What fully vaccinated means' on Red/non-red countries.

Amended text on Red, amber and green list countries.

Text updates to Red and non-red list rules.

Revised red list and accepted vaccines for 'fully vaccinated' status.

Linked to news release announcing changes to the red list from 11 October.

Update to reflect changes that came into effect today. Green and amber lists no longer in use, changes to pre-departure testing requirements for fully vaccinated travellers.

Minor updates to links and bullet point re. amber countries.

Amendment to text on amber countries section for 'if you're not fully vaccinated' to clarify when 10 day period starts.

Revisions to red, amber and green list countries effective from 4am on 19 July 2021.

Added news release to Overview and Red, amber and green list countries.

Revised red list to show upcoming changes.

Exemptions page updated - sections on clinical trials and studies and specialist technical work in sub-sea telecommunications infrastructure, goods, waste, power infrastructure or space infrastructure updated to include testing information update.

Link updated on testing for people travelling to Scotland page.

Updated to reflect that private providers are now eligible to supply testing kits.

Added Luxembourg to amber list.

Changes to Overview and Red, amber and green list countries.

Changes to Overview, Red, amber and green list countries and Testing for people travelling to Scotland.

Altered the layout of the red, amber, green list page so that green is at the top. Amended the text in the amber section to make the vaccination content clearer.

Updated email on Managed isolation: what you must do

Amended pricing for testing.

Updated Managed and self isolation: what you must do

Changes to Overview, Red amber and green list countries, Sectoral exemptions and Managed isolation: what you must do pages.

Changes to Overview, Red amber and green list countries and Managed isolation: what you must do pages.

Changes to overview page and amber countries page reflecting latest changes in respect of vaccinations and travel.

Changes to Overview and Red, green and amber list countries and Testing for people travelling to Scotland.

Changes to Overview and Red, green and amber list countries.

Compassionate exemptions on medical grounds section added to sector exemptions page - exemptions: arriving from all countries.

Word "quarantine" replaced replaced with “self-isolate at home or the place you are staying” in references to arrivals from France.

Amended to highlight that 19 July double NHS vaccination rules will not apply to people returning from France.

Updated to reflect changes coming into force on 19 July 2021, in particular overview, all lists and details and isolating in a hotel

Changed sectoral exemptions for seafarers.

Amended sectoral exemptions for defence personnel.

Amended sectoral exemptions for seamen.

Amended red, amber and green lists to reflect changes coming into effect at 4am.

Amended the amber list to show changes coming into effect on 30 June 2021.

Added link to news release - expanded travel green list for Scotland - dated 24 June, following latest review.

Updated offshore oil and gas work in sectoral exemptions page to reflect current situation.

Added information notice to Red list countries and areas section.

Updated elite sportspeople in sectoral exemptions page to reflect current situation.

Amendment to sectoral exemptions page for those returning from amber countries. Removed: 'you do not need to book a managed isolation package' as these sectors do not need to self isolate.

Overview and red, amber and green counties pages updated to reflected latest situation.

Added details in the sectoral exemptions chapter, seafarers section on cruise ship detail.

Changes made to 'getting help paying for your hotel quarantine section' email and telephone numbers on the managed and self isolation page.

Link to CTM booking portal amended.

Boarding school pupils and children under 18 travelling without an adult information updated.

Updated seamen, masters of ships, ship inspectors or surveyors of ships information.

Updated to reflect regulation changes on 17 May 2021.

Added information on the red, amber and green list countries that will come into effect on 17 May 2021.

Nepal, Maldives and Turkey added to list of acute risk countries.

Changes made to links for seasonal migrant workers. Also minor amendments made to what you must do and sectoral exemptions pages to add links to ctm portal and north hotels.

Made sectoral exemptions page testing criteria clearer.

Information on getting help to pay for your hotel quarantine updated.

Line added to information note on sectoral exemptions page about booking of testing packages.

Sectoral exemptions amended because the existing exemption for ‘transporting human cells or blood’ will be extended to arrivals from all countries effective from 4am on Friday 23 April.

India added to list of acute risk countries as of 4am on Friday 23 April.

Added Bangladesh, Kenya, Pakistan and Philippines to list of acute risk countries as of 4am on Friday 9 April.

Added information box and link and updated seamen section in sectoral exemptions, update to covid testing in travelling to England in managed and self-isolation page.

Clarification of testing for children aged 11 or over in the boarding schools section.

Updates to the boarding schools/children under 18 section in sectoral exemptions.

sectoral exemptions (seamen) section updated.

Addition of boarding school pupils and children under 18 travelling without an adult to sectoral exemptions page

Updated phone number in managed and self isolation section.

Update to section on seamen, masters of ships, ship inspectors or surveyors of ships in sectoral exemptions.

Updated the text relating exemptions to aircraft pilots or crew and seamen etc in relation to travel from acute risk countries

Removed Mauritius and Portugal from acute risk countries and added: Ethiopia, Oman, Qatar and Somalia.

Revised layout to make it clearer.

Added information about previous positive test results to testing for people travelling to Scotland section.

Removed Falkland Islands from list of acute list countries.

Added Myanmar to list of exemptions in testing for people travelling to Scotland section.

Added links to supplementary agricultural advice.

Change made to introductory paragraph of managed isolation guidance page.

All pages updated and new content added on managed isolation.

Link added to booking portal from key facts page.

Sectoral exemptions page updated.

Key facts and what you must do pages updated.

Added new section on arrival from Burundi, Rwanda and the UAE.

List of country exemptions removed.

Added suspended information to film and tv sectoral exemption.

List of exempt countries removed following the suspension of travel corridors.

Country exemptions page and key facts page updated to reflect the fact that the travel corridors have been suspended until further notice.

Added new section on testing for people travelling to Scotland.

Updated travel information for Brazil, Aruba, Bonaire, Sint Eustatius, Saba and Qatar

Key facts page amended to include information about requirement to have a valid negative COVID-19 test result, taken no more than three days before the scheduled time of departure.

Added information re United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Added information on arrivals from Dubai to the exemptions page.

Updates on travel advice for: Israel and Angola, Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Israel

Caution note added to key facts page regarding travel restrictions from the UK.

Updated country exemptions page to reference arrivals from Namibia, Uruguay and US Virgin Islands.

Updated to reflect change in self-isolation period from 14 to 10 days.

Updated to reflect changes including addition of Botswana and Saudi Arabia and removal of Canary Islands from 04:00o on 12/12/21.

Updated country exemptions page to reflect latest position.

Various changes to the list of country exemptions.

Updated exemptions page to reflect recent changes

Changes to various country exemptions.

Changes to travel rules covering Denmark.

Removed Denmark from list of exempt countries.

Updated travel information for Germany and Sweden.

Updated travel information for Cyprus and Lithuania.

Regulations page updated

Updated travel information for the Canary Islands, Denmark, the Maldives and Mykonos, and Liechtenstein.

Updated travel information for Greece and Italy.

Updated travel information for Madeira and Azores; Poland, Turkey and the Caribbean islands of Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba

Updated travel information for Curacao, Denmark, Iceland and Slovakia.

Updated travel information for Singapore, Thailand, Slovenia and Guatemala.

Updates to Overview and Regulations pages.

Updated travel information for Sweden, Hungary and La Reunion

Updated travel information for Portugal and French Polynesia.

Updated travel information for Greece.

Added Cuba, removed Czech Republic and Jamaica.

Changed number of exempt UK overseas territories from 14 to 13 and added note to Portugal.

Removed Austria, Croatia, Switzerland, Trinidad & Tobago and added Portugal.

Add notes for Austria, Croatia, Switzerland, Trinidad & Tobago and Portugal.

Country exemptions: removed France, The Netherlands, Aruba, Turks and Caicos, Malta and Monaco

Country exemptions: removed Andorra, The Bahamas and Belgium from list.

Country exemptions: added info re Andorra, The Bahamas and Belgium.

Removed Luxembourg from the exemptions list.

Self isolation advice changed from 7 to 10 days

Added Estonia, Latvia, Slovakia, Slovenia and St Vincent and the Grenadines to the exemptions list.

Removed Spain to the exemptions list.

Added Spain to the exemptions list.

Added in links to the sectoral exemptions page to guidance for seasonal workers and elite sports.

Changes to exemptions and sectoral exemptions pages to reflect the 'travel corridor'.

Revised with country and sector specific information updates.

Added link to news item detailing countries where rules do not apply

First published.

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Travel disruption

Some emergencies, like severe weather, cause disruption and delay and in extreme cases can leave you stranded.

By following Ready Scotland’s advice, you can more easily adapt and respond to disruption - you might even be able to avoid it all together. Keep yourself and those around you safe.

What Can I Do?

• During severe weather, consider whether you need to travel right now, or if you can wait until the weather improves;
• Check the weather forecast , and keep up to date with the latest weather warnings;
• Think about alternative routes or modes of travel and check public transport routes ;
• Traffic Scotland host an interactive map  which provides information on all incidents, roadworks, and travel warnings on Scotland’s major roads. You can also check on road conditions using live traffic cameras  across the country before you set off;
• If you do decide to drive, make sure your car is ready for a journey in poor weather e.g. check your tyre pressure, treads, lights and fuel levels;
• In winter, think about getting winter tyres  or snow socks for your vehicle;
• Pack an emergency kit  in your car.

Emergency Kit Basic List

• A first aid kit;
• Battery jump leads;
• A torch and spare batteries;
• A map for unplanned diversions;
• A reflective warning sign.

Emergency Kit Cold Weather Additions

• An ice scraper and de-icer;
• A shovel for snow;
• Warm clothes and boots;
• Food, and a warm drink in a flask.

Before Travelling in Poor Weather

• If travelling by public transport, be prepared for potential disruptions with warm clothes and boots, food and a warm drink in a flask;
• Tell someone your destination and when you expect to arrive;
• Allow extra time for your journey;
• Take a fully charged mobile and charger with you;
• Carry one or more emergency contact numbers on your mobile phone or in your wallet/purse. This means emergency responders can contact people who know you, and get important medical information as quickly as possible.

During a Journey

• Avoid flooded roads: six inches of fast-flowing water can knock over an adult and two feet of water can move a car;
• Adapt your driving style to the conditions. Your stopping distance is increased 10x when driving in snow and ice, and doubles in wet weather, so it makes sense to slow down and maintain a safe distance from the vehicle in front;
• It’s not always obvious that the road is icy. Look for clues such as ice on the pavement or on your windscreen. If your tyres are making virtually no noise on the road, it could be a sign that you’re driving on ice;
• Don’t brake heavily in snow or ice – it will just lock your wheels and you will skid further. Consider changing to a lower gear;
• If your vehicle loses its grip, or ‘aquaplanes’ on surface water, take your foot off the accelerator to slow down. Do not brake or steer suddenly because you’ll have no control of the steering or brakes.
• Ensure you (and your bike) are visible to other road users by wearing bright and light reflective clothing;
• Consider heavier duty tyres to cope with slippery surfaces and get a routine bike maintenance check;
• Get a good set of mud guards.
• Search British Cycling for their useful range of Ridesmart guides to help prepare for winter weather cycling.

Find Out More

• Get more information about driving in bad weather  from Traffic Scotland.
• Traffic Scotland also has real-time traffic information .
• Call Traveline on 0871 200 2233 for information on public transport.

Stay Informed

Ready Scotland regularly publishes alerts on both Twitter and Facebook. Follow and like our pages to keep up to date wherever you are.

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Current and Emerging Challenges

Scotland’s road safety framework to 2030.

These challenges, either within or outwith the road safety system, have been identified to make an impact now, or in the near future, on road safety generally and, more particularly, on the new framework. These are encapsulated in twelve themes which map easily onto the Safe System and align with Scottish Government's policies, plans and strategies. A high-level summary of each challenge and its impact on road casualties with more-evidenced narrative is provided below.

Climate Emergency its potential effects on road casualties and the benefits that road safety can bring

Active & Sustainable Travel its potential effects on road casualties and the benefits that road safety can bring

Health improving road safety to reduce impact on public health services

Safe System implementing the Safe System at all levels

Speed Management road users not travelling at appropriate speeds, its effect on road casualties

Road Safety Delivery delivering a shift in resources and funding to focus on road safety delivery

Driving/Riding for Work & Workplace Culture its effect on road casualties

Emerging Technologies consideration of benefits and challenges of emerging technologies on road safety

Enforcement/Deterrence increasing the visibility of road policing enforcement

Road Infrastructure & Maintenance deterioration of road assets and its potential impact on road casualties

Post-Crash Response improving the fast and effective response to road collisions

Road Users unsafe road use by certain types of Road Users and its effect on road casualties

Climate emergency: the potential effects of climate change on road casualties and the benefits road safety initiatives can bring

In direct response to the Paris Agreement, Scotland's landmark Climate Change Act [9] represents a world-leading legislative framework in terms of its ambition. It commits Scotland to becoming a net-zero society by 2045, five years before the UK legislative commitment – in line with advice from the government's independent expert advisors, the UK Committee on Climate Change. The Scottish Government is also responding to the global climate emergency by adopting an ambitious new target to reduce emissions by 75% by 2030 – which goes way beyond what the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change says is needed globally to prevent warming of more than 1.5 degrees.

Figure 4: Share of greenhouse gas emissions by mode in 2018

Transport is currently Scotland's largest sectoral emitter, responsible for 36% of Scotland's total greenhouse gases in 2017. The largest source of transport emissions is road vehicles, with cars contributing 39% and Light Goods Vehicles (LGVs) and Heavy Goods Vehicles (HGVs) responsible for 26%. [10]

The National Transport Strategy 2 Strategic Environmental Assessment report [11] states: "our transport system will adapt to remain resilient and reduce the harmful effects on future generations, and will help deliver our net-zero target". The Scottish Government has committed to reduce car kilometres by 20% by 2030. If the health pandemic has moved to a phase to allow more certainty on future transport trends and people's behaviours - and work lifestyle choices in future forecasting – a route-map for the reduction will be published in 2021. Promoting greener, cleaner choices by reinforcing the Sustainable Travel Hierarchy to promote and design our transport system so that walking, cycling, public and shared transport are promoted.

Road safety, as with other cross-cutting policies, must take the climate emergency into consideration and this framework will seek to do that.

Extreme changes in temperature and torrential rainfall, along with extreme weather events caused by climate change, will affect many aspects of our lives including road safety and the conservation of the pavement and road mobility. Road users will need to adapt and gain the knowledge, skills and experience required to become safe and responsible users under such conditions. Employers and employees should be encouraged to apply the Severe weather: fair work charter [12] in order to mitigate road safety risk within their organisations.

Non-road safety-related initiatives implemented to tackle the climate emergency may also have negative effects on road safety. For example, the roll-out of more electric vehicles – be it cars, vans or buses – in the next decade will continue to pose a road safety risk due to their lack of noise emissions at low speeds. [13]

In relation to vehicle emissions reduction and air quality improvement, speed management – a pillar of the Safe System, whose primary role is improving road safety – also has the potential to reduce vehicle emissions by smoothing traffic flow and thus contributing on several fronts to providing a safer environment to facilitate increases in walking, wheeling and cycling. A 2017 UK National Institute for Clinical Excellence Public Health Advisory Committee was tasked with looking at air pollutants from vehicles . [14] It advised that reducing 'stop-go' driving can help lower these. It also found traffic-calming measures like speed bumps could increase emissions.

Many traffic-calming measures are promoted as a way of making 20 mph speed limits 'self-enforcing' to ensure compliance. The Public Health Advisory committee advised the UK Government to 'promote a smooth driving style' via a range of measures that should include implementing 20 mph limits in urban areas where speeds are already low, but without additional calming measures. The Department for Transport's three-year evaluation of the HGV speed increase in England and Wales [15] (from 2015) published in July 2020, has helped develop our understanding of the impact of the HGV speed limit change on a number of fronts including: driver behaviour; vehicle speeds; the economy; the environment; and most importantly, road safety. Its key findings are that there there is no evidence of a change in collisions involving at least one HGV on all single and dual carriageway roads and no attributable change in noise and air quality due to the policy change. Our own evaluation of the potential impacts of increasing speed limits for HGVs in Scotland [16] shows there are small safety disbenefits and marginal environmental impacts. There are small safety benefits and increases in CO2e emissions when restricting the speed limit change to trunk roads. Conversely, when the speed limit increase is applied to all rural roads there are small safety disbenefits and reductions in CO2e.

Finally, in relation to promoting greener, cleaner choices by reinforcing the Sustainable Travel Hierarchy of NTS2, the new framework consistently applies the Hierarchy on road safety matters; we have intermediate outcome targets to 2030 for pedestrians and cyclists, and we propose the following two strategic actions in relation to the Hierarchy:

• ensure road safety is a key focus of active and sustainable travel in Scotland
• all road users will understand their road safety responsibilities and improve their attitudes and behaviours to ensure the safety of themselves and other road users.

Active & Sustainable travel: its potential effects on road casualties and the benefits road safety can bring

The Scottish Government is committed to achieving a more active and healthier nation.

It is also committed to the long-term vision for active travel in Scotland, [17] where communities are shaped around people, with walking and cycling the most popular choice for shorter, everyday journeys. In order to encourage more people to choose active travel, the Scottish Government doubled the active travel budget to £80 million in 2018-19 and it is now at a record £100.5 million for 2020-21 with the commitment to provide over £500 million over five years for large scale, transformational active travel infrastructure projects, access to bikes and behaviour change schemes. [18] The main beneficiaries of this investment are local authorities, working in partnership with active travel stakeholders. In 2020, there are over 280 walking, cycling and place-making infrastructure partnership projects underway, seeking to deliver better segregated cycleways and walkways to make our towns and cities friendlier and safer. The funding is also used for urban design projects, e-bike grants, and behaviour change and education projects.

Transport Scotland invests over £1 billion per year in active and sustainable transport. As recently announced within STPR2 phase 1 we have committed to develop a national strategy for 20 mph zones and limits in Scotland to support a range of policies that assist those Government national outcomes and indicators relevant to this area. Related policy drivers include better road safety and health outcomes, promotion of active travel, climate change mitigation and place-making. The strategy will identify a number of outcomes to assist in the further delivery of 20mph zones and limits on those roads where it is appropriate to do so. It seeks to reduce perceptions of road danger, encourage people to walk and cycle, and create more pleasant streets and neighbourhoods by providing a more equitable balance between different road users, thereby promoting inclusivity. Since 2012, it has invested almost £30 million to establish one of the most comprehensive electric vehicle charging networks in Europe to support our 2032 ambition to phase out the need for new petrol and diesel cars and vans. It made an extra £17 million available through its Low Carbon Transport Loan earlier this year, and will expand the scheme to include used electric vehicles. Its transformational Bus Partnership Fund provides a long-term investment of over £500m to deliver targeted bus priority measures on local and trunk roads. This is intended to reduce the negative impacts of congestion on bus services and address the decline in bus patronage. The investment includes the roll-out of infrastructure for the trunk and local road network.

The Bus Partnership Fund will complement the powers in the Transport (Scotland) Act 2019, enabling local authorities to work in partnership with bus operators, to develop and deliver ambitious schemes that incorporate bus priority measures. The Fund will focus on the evidence of how bus services will be improved by addressing congestion, but the partnership approach is also expected to leverage other bus service improvements to help tackle the climate emergency, reduce private car use and increase bus patronage.

We envisage that more and more people, will opt to cycle (including on e-bikes [19] ), walk or use micromobility devices (such as e-scooters, hoverboards or segways) be it for environmental considerations in response to our climate emergency, or for reasons of personal health and fitness – which will result in more vulnerable people on the roads. In early July 2020, the Department for Transport (DfT) introduced new regulations and guidance to allow rental e-scooter trials [20] to start for the next year across towns and cities in the UK. Stronger active mobility policies, especially in urban areas, can be a major game changer in reducing CO2 emissions, improving air quality and reducing congestion. We know the perception of urban and rural roads as unsafe is a barrier against these everyday journeys. That is why measures which encourage these mobility choices also need to take safety considerations into account systematically, as does this new framework. The UK Government, as part of its Future of Mobility Regulatory Review and following the publication of the Future of Mobility: Urban Strategy [21] in March 2019 recently closed a call for views and evidence [22] from all those with an interest in what an innovative and flexible regulatory framework should look like for emerging transport technologies and business models, recognising their benefits to society, the environment and the economy, but also the risks they could pose if left unmanaged.

As the active travel agenda unfolds (traffic estimates suggest a marked increase in cycling on Scottish roads since 2008 [23] ), Scotland may face the so-called 'safety in numbers' effect which can be defined as follows: with significant increases in walking and cycling, the safety rate improves, but the actual number of pedestrian and cyclist casualties may increase. This could be exacerbated by the current lack of knowledge of the Highway Code [24] among road users in relation to ensuring the safety of cyclists and pedestrians.

£50million from the Low Carbon Fund has been allocated to Active Freeways, which are high quality active travel corridors which provide sustainable transport infrastructure between settlements and major trip attractors. In towns and cities worldwide, the implementation of high-quality segregated networks of routes for people walking, cycling and wheeling has been a key component in promoting healthy, sustainable and inclusive travel choices.  

Together with the ever-increasing number of e-bikes and the combination of dedicated segregated routes to key locations, this will provide a real alternative to those short and medium distance car journeys. The Active Freeways programme would build on the Sustrans Scotland's Places for Everyone Programme bringing the benefits to many more of Scotland's cities and towns. The next step is an appraisal methodology that is to be developed to support this investment. It will be used to identify appropriate locations for the first tranche of investment. 

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and to better enable physical distancing, the Scottish Government launched late April 2020 a £30 million Spaces for People fund [25] for a new infrastructure programme for pop-up walking and cycling routes or temporary improvements to existing routes. There appears to be a missing opportunity between the road safety benefits of supporting active travel and the benefits to active travel in supporting road safety.

Due to their numbers and greater vulnerability, pedestrians continue to represent the second – largest category of killed and seriously injured by mode of transport (27% in and 24% respectively for 2019) after car users (45% and 46% respectively for 2019). 95% of pedestrian casualties for 2019 occurred on built-up roads.

Although the number of cyclists killed remains statistically very low, the number of seriously injured showed little change between 2008 and 2018 (figures for 2019 are not directly comparable). 63% of all pedal cycle fatalities over the three years to 2019 were on non-built up roads. In 2019, cyclists accounted for 1.2% of all journeys and 0.8% of traffic in Scotland but, disproportionately, 7.5% of all casualties. Per unit distance travelled, pedal cyclists in Britain have approximately twice the level of risk of being killed than is the case in the Netherlands and Denmark where, of course, cycling is far more common. [26]

Health: improving road safety to reduce impact on public health services

This challenge looks at health holistically as issues of fatal and serious injuries sustained post-collision are covered in the separate post-crash response challenge.

Given the significant and rising costs associated with ill-health and related failure demand, there is both an economic and health benefit to a renewed focus on preventative interventions which reduce pressure on other parts of the public sector and contribute to Scotland's long-term sustainable economic growth. Public health reform is an equal partnership between central and local government, recognising that improving public health is a shared responsibility at both national and local level. Reform aims to improve public health through a 'whole system' approach, focused on prevention and early intervention, and creating the conditions for wellbeing in our communities.

Road casualty reduction is an important contributor to improving Scotland's public health by preventing premature death and injury, particularly among motorcyclists, young people, cyclists and pedestrians. Public health and road safety are linked by a number of factors, such as the speed and volume of traffic, which can cause injuries and prevent opportunities for healthy activity outside the home. [27] Safer roads and road use pave the way for more people cycling and walking which, in turn, improves their health and increases the numbers living in vibrant, healthy and safe communities. Transport Scotland published the Good Practice Guide on implementing 20 mph speed limits [28] to promote the introduction of 20 mph and are supportive of these limits in the right environment. The only major UK study into the effectiveness of sign-only 20 mph speed limits was published by the Department for Transport in 2018. [29] This three year study found that, overall, 20 mph limits are perceived to be beneficial for cyclists and pedestrians.

Thus, improved road safety would directly assist in achieving the Public Health Priority of a Scotland where we live in vibrant, healthy and safe places and communities, as well as Scotland's National Performance Framework Health outcome: We are healthy and active.

However, public perception seems to be that road death is not a public health issue when compared to other causes of sudden death such as assault. This perception is not evidenced by reported road casualty statistics and mortality statistics, which show, in 2019, around three times more people were killed on the roads [30] than were victims of assault. [31]

In addition, data collected on discharges from non-obstetric and non-psychiatric acute hospitals consistently show the c. 3000 per year admissions for those seriously injured in collisions (those requiring at least an overnight stay) is consistently double that of casualties reported via STATS 19 [32] (c. 1600 per year). Looking to the future, this disparity needs to be addressed in order to understand the true picture of road casualties.

This may become more of a problem in the future as people walk and cycle more and continue to report injuries through hospitals rather than the police.

Finally, the health of our road users needs to be appropriate for the mode of transport. On physical health, good eyesight can become problematic with age and may lead to greater use of contributory factors such as 'failed to look properly' or 'failed to judge other person's path/speed'. From a mental health perspective and following a research carried out by Mercedes in 2017, [33] van drivers, particularly in the Gig economy, are especially prone to poor mental health from a combination of unpredictable journey times, traffic congestion, tight deadlines, high workload and lack of social interaction, all of which can lead to stress and fatigue, thus creating a road safety risk to themselves and others.

The Safe System: implementing it at all levels

While the Safe System Approach has been adopted in Scotland, there seems to be a lack of knowledge, among stakeholders and members of the public, on what it is and what it means for road safety professionals and for individual road users.

As a result, many professionals continue to use traditional delivery methods which seek to correct human behaviour, rather than acknowledge that collisions are also related to the inherent risks of the existing infrastructure.

Unlike this traditional approach, the Safe System accepts that human error is no longer the primary cause of collisions. Rather, a failure of the road system is what results in death or serious injury. A Safe System also shapes interventions to meet the long-term goal of zero deaths and serious injuries, rather than relying on traditional road safety interventions to reduce collisions. The key objective for those managing the roads is to recognise that, when collisions occur as a result of road user error, high-severity outcomes, such as death and serious injury, need not occur. Therefore, roads and infrastructure need to be 'forgiving' and take account of human vulnerability.

In many areas, this will require a significant shift in how road safety is delivered. We need to educate all those involved on what the Safe System entails, and why it is important everyone plays their part to ensure it is fully-implemented within every aspect of road safety delivery.

This will be difficult in the current economic environment where many areas are already unable to react to and address collision causation factors. Therefore, switching to a more proactive/preventative approach will require significant buy-in from leadership, followed up by decisive action to align objectives in public health, occupational health and safety, environmental, and social justice, in order to maximise the benefits of cost-effective investment in improving the various infrastructures. Fully-implementing the Safe System can produce economic savings for a society, as the costs of preventing casualties are usually substantially less than the actual costs of treating these casualties.

Currently, road collision costs, including for casualties, represent around 0.5% of Scotland's gross domestic product. [34]

Speed Management: road users not travelling at appropriate speeds, its effect on road casualties

There continues to be a cultural speed issue in Scotland, evidenced through the Road Safety Information Tracking Study (RITS) 2020 of Driver attitudes and behaviour [35] Although, there has been a downward trend in reported speeding behaviours in the past few years, a number of these behaviours still remain prevalent. There are still too many collisions related to non-compliance with the speed limits or not driving/riding to the conditions. In Scotland overall, the number of fatalities due to speeding has decreased from 24% in 2013 to 21% in 2019. The following graph, which shows casualties by severity and speed limit, shows more than half of all fatalities occur on 60 mph roads (typically rural roads) and almost half of serious injuries (and 82% of all pedestrian serious casualties) occur on 30 mph roads (mostly urban and sub-urban roads).

The graph below shows average speeds by road and vehicle type [36] analysed at 26 sampled locations in June 2017, using four to ten counters per road type. It indicates low levels of national speed compliance – mostly from HGVs on dual and single carriageways. It is worth noting, before Average Speed Cameras were deployed on the A90, one in five vehicles were estimated to be exceeding the speed limit by 10 mph or more. This figure is now approximately 1-in-5000. [37] The same improvement has been seen across other routes where such systems have been installed.

In relation to non-national speed limits, such as 20 mph zones, road policing operations, observational studies and/or self-reporting data all indicate a low level of speed compliance. For example, the RAC Report on Motoring 2020 [38] found non-compliance with 20 mph was at 39% though this had reduced from 44% the previous year. The three-year study by the Department for Transport into the effectiveness of sign-only 20 mph limits [39] found that lack of enforcement 

and lack of concern about the consequences of speeding were the primary reasons given for non-compliance.

The evidence above supports a National Speed Management Review.  The rationale for this was also set out in STPR2 phase 1 recommendations and Transport Scotland will now take that forward, as highlighted in the NTS2 Delivery Plan.

Road Safety Delivery: delivering a shift in resources and funding to focus on road safety

Road safety funding practices vary, even across areas whose road safety records are favourable, suggesting there is not a 'one size fits all' approach.

More recently, in July 2019, the Road Safety Foundation assessed the effectiveness of road safety engineering in local government across the UK, [40] including Scotland. It found many local authority practitioners share three main concerns:

• Low levels of resourcing within engineering teams, resulting in a large proportion of time responding to public concerns and administrative duties, rather than designing and implementing life-saving schemes
• The lack of capital investment for engineering improvements
• The inability to compete with other core local authorities services, and lack of recognition (at a senior level) of both the scale of the problem of road trauma and the real opportunity to tackle the issue

Diminishing financial resources have coincided with a reduction in the number of 'traditional' road safety officers (some authorities no longer have any) and engineers across Scotland. Not only has this produced a knowledge/skills drain within local authorities but, without professional and appropriate resources, there is a significant reduction in the priority which should be given to road casualty reduction both on the roads and in our educational establishments. Furthermore, the opportunities to share information and good practice are also reduced.

In 2019 the cost of collisions in Scotland was estimated to be over £1.1 billion [41] . This serves to highlight the enormous costs that government spending on road safety has helped prevent, through its contribution to the continued drop in collisions and casualties. If widely communicated and recognised at every level of government, there is a compelling case for decision-makers to re-prioritise road safety spend within overall budgets by better aligning public health, occupational health and safety, environmental, and social justice objectives with road safety objectives. This would help maximise the benefits of cost-effective investment and funding in road safety through co-funding opportunities from various budget lines.

With this in mind, there is an opportunity to prepare a strong business case for road safety investment, using a 'willingness to pay' model: such a cost-benefit analysis would assess the value of a life saved against the negative impact of road collisions on, for example, increased journey time, to make road safety initiatives compete successfully with other funding demands.

The current Framework to 2020 established and maintained strong partnership working across the whole road safety community in Scotland, and therein lies its success. However, significant challenges lie ahead, given the increased pressure to perform better with fewer resources. With this in mind, the Framework Strategic Partnership Board developed an approach in summer 2018 which highlighted the need to strengthen how we work collaboratively, particularly at local level, to co-design and co-deliver road safety change. This has been named the 'Team Scotland' approach.

The main aim of Team Scotland is to ensure better connections between national and local activity and provide an evidence base for road safety delivery. Team Scotland aims to work closely with delivery partners to understand local systems and their relationship to national systems; identify those initiatives being undertaken at local level; learn from best practice; and evaluate results with a view to sharing best practice. It is also about delivering a wider understanding of the challenges we all face, and working more closely to devise and implement solutions for those challenges. The Team Scotland approach has already begun and will continue to run through the new framework.

In order to further improve connectivity between national and local levels, we have introduced a new tier in the framework governance structure – the Local Partnership Forums (see Governance section).

Driving/Riding for Work and Workplace culture: its effect on road casualties

We must strive for a future where no one is killed while driving/riding for work. Health and Safety Executive (HSE) figures [42] highlight that, in 2018-19, driving accounted for 18 of the 29 work-related deaths in Scotland, making driving the most dangerous work activity. This situation poses a risk to every road user, even more so with the increase in Light Goods Vehicles (LGVs) on our roads and the growth of the "Grey Fleet". [43]

In 2018 in the UK, LGVs were the second most – registered vehicles (10%), behind cars (83%). Over the last 24 years, vehicle stock has increased by 51%. The largest increase was for LGVs (88%), followed by motorcycles (72%), and cars (49%), and this trend looks set to continue. According to the Freight Transport Association, [44] there is a common misconception that the increase in vans on our roads is due to a soaring demand for online shopping, as part of the Gig economy: this is not true, as only one in ten vans is used for this purpose. Rather, the majority is used to support an array of trade professions, such as plumbers and gardeners, enabling them to travel to and from jobs with their equipment on board.

Health and safety law applies to work activities on the road in the same way it does to all work activities. All workers are entitled to work in a safe environment where risks to their health and safety are properly controlled. Employers have duties under health and safety legislation for on-the-road work activities, and this also extends to the self-employed. In general, this requires an adequate and suitable generic assessment of risks for the various types of driving tasks undertaken within every organisation, including: delivering goods; travelling to meetings; call-outs; emergency response; vehicle recovery operations; and courier delivery, to name but a few. In addition, employers must consider the safety-critical features of: the journey purpose; the vehicle to be used; and the driver/rider him/herself; as these are equally important factors in collision risk. Unfortunately, the HSE does not recognise the driving seat as a place of work and compliance to health and safety legislation for on-the-road work activities varies due to the size of the company and their commitment to road safety.

A recent IAM RoadSmart White paper [45] highlights some alarming practices and attitudes when it comes to employers, with almost half of them expecting employees to answer their phone at any time, including while driving for work.

The Gig economy is another area of great concern as drivers/riders have to 'chase' work, often with little or no training, nor any safety equipment, which often results in them taking greater risks and having poor wellbeing on the road.

A variety of respected organisations, such as HSE, the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA), and the Transport Research Laboratory (TRL), have consistently indicated between one quarter and one third of all collisions in the UK involve someone driving for work. In Scotland in 2019, there were 7,671 reported road casualties, of which 1,171 occurred where the journey was work-related. These resulted in 10 pedestrian deaths, 5 in a car/taxi, three in a bus/coach, two in an HGV and one in an LGV. 448 of those injured were travelling in a car/taxi, 276 were pedestrians 178 were in an Bus/coach and 142 in an LGV.

Transport Scotland has estimated that 1.1 million private vehicles are used for business on Scotland's roads. This 'Grey Fleet' can have a significant effect on both the risk profile and the operational costs of any organisation. Research carried out by Driving for Better Business highlighted a number of concerns around compliance with legislation and the wellbeing of employees driving for work. [46] These include: mobile phone usage; health & safety; business insurance; regular servicing; and vehicle safety checks. We need to ensure the 'Grey Fleet' becomes the 'black and white fleet'.

In addition, with HGVs travelling 2.6 billion kilometres on Scotland's roads every year, [47] the need for these vehicles to be properly-maintained and used safely is paramount. Concerns include issues such as driver fatigue and poorly loaded/insecure vehicles.

The Scottish Occupational Road Safety Alliance (ScORSA) was created to raise awareness of managing occupational road risk and to promote occupational road safety within Scotland, so that road safety becomes ingrained in the workplace culture. This would, for example, include applying the Severe weather: fair work charter. [48] ScORSA is the only dedicated source of free information, guidance and advice in relation to the management of occupational road risk specifically aimed at enterprises based in Scotland.

Emerging Technologies: consideration of benefits and challenges of technology on road safety

Scotland needs to be ready to embrace new trends, such as connectivity and automation, which will, in the future, create new road safety opportunities by reducing the role of human error (driver/rider error or action was reported in 90% of all reported accidents in 2019, with 'failed to look properly' the most common type at 30%). However, as we remain in the transition phase, new risks will emerge; these include vehicles with a wide range of different automated/connected capability, which will have to operate in mixed traffic conditions alongside 'traditional' vehicles and vulnerable road users, such as motorcyclists, cyclists and pedestrians.

A specific EU strategy on connected and automated mobility was adopted as part of the "Third Mobility Package". The strategy offers tremendous potential in reducing and eventually eliminating driver error, but it also creates new challenges, such as cyber-security and the interaction with 'traditional' vehicles and other road users, both of which need to be carefully monitored.

In Scotland in 2019, a total of 4,581 car users were injured in road collisions, representing 60% of all casualties. Of these, 75 died. There were 1,250 pedestrian casualties (16% of total casualties), of whom 44 died; 572 pedal cycle casualties (7.5% of the total) of whom 10 died; and 520 motorcycle casualties (6.8% of the total), of whom 25 died.

Following the adoption of an EU regulation on the general safety of motor vehicles and the protection of vehicle occupants and vulnerable road users, as of mid-2022, it will be mandatory for all new cars on the EU market to be equipped with advanced safety systems. An estimated 7,300 deaths and 38,900 serious injuries will be avoided over a ten-year period within the EU.

The infrastructure safety management work will include network-wide risk mapping and reinforced provisions for vulnerable road users. The former UK Government has committed to align its vehicle standards to that of the EU.

Using current figures, and based on the population of Scotland within the EU, the impact of adopting vehicle safety measures in Scotland could prevent around 7 fatalities and 39 serious injuries per year.

New in-vehicle safety and driver assistance systems can both mitigate the severity, and reduce the likelihood, of collisions. Furthermore, the development of safer vehicles has had a significant, positive impact on crash survivability. While road user behaviour accounts for the majority of crashes, the Safe System also identifies the need to make crashes survivable. Research and development in this area is essential.

Initially, when the fleet is mixed, there will be complex interactions between autonomous vehicles, human-driven vehicles, pedestrians and other road users. These interactions would be a first for both technology and human, and the challenge will require navigating unfamiliar and difficult situations which would typically require some form of human judgement. Another key factor is the possibility of road users purposely interfering with Connected and Autonomous Vehicles (CAVs) which brings a further risk into the mix.

In Scotland in 2019, there were 198 bus and coach-users injured, of whom 23 suffered serious injuries (3 died). There were also 248 casualties who were travelling in Light Goods Vehicles (LGVs), 51 Heavy Goods Vehicles (HGVs), 139 in taxis, 24 in minibuses and 62 people using another means of transport.

The development and deployment of CAVs has the potential to bring transformative change to peoples' lives, not just in how we travel, but in how we work, where we live, the environment, and safety. The CAV Roadmap for Scotland [49] sets out the future vision for how Scotland can benefit from and contribute to this exciting and innovative sector.

It supports the Programme for Government commitments to put sustainable transport at the heart of decision-making and ensure that transport plays a key role in delivering net-zero emissions by 2045.

The CAV Roadmap is aligned with Scotland's Future Intelligent Transport Systems Strategy and our draft National Transport Strategy (NTS2), which sets out a compelling vision for the transport system over the next 20 years, one that protects our climate and improves lives.

New technology is also being used in road infrastructure to mitigate risk. Scotland's Intelligent Transport System (ITS) makes use of Automatic Number Plate Recognition, Average Speed Cameras and Variable Message Signs to improve the journey. In addition, Temporary Average Speed Cameras at Roadworks (TASCAR) contribute towards the safety of road workers and road users, as well as improving traffic flow.

In-car technology and telematics will also play a part in helping to manage risk. The motor insurance industry recognised this and many companies offer reduced premiums, when technology helps reduce risk, particularly for young drivers. Since then, there has been a greater uptake of telematics through black box technology and, more recently, via phone apps.

With the rise in technology within and outwith vehicles, there is an ever-growing risk of overconfidence in, and over-reliance on, technology. This could lead to road users adopting more risky behaviours, believing the technology will accommodate them and adapt appropriately. Furthermore, technology is still largely unfamiliar and may lead to increased distraction and/or improper use which, in turn, increases collision risk. Hence, new and emerging technologies must be researched and evaluated to evidence whether they help or hinder road safety.

Scotland needs to be sure it embraces technology for the right reasons and this will involve not only partnership working, but also substantial investment and intensive research to determine the benefits, risks and challenges before implementing new technology.

Enforcement/Deterrence: increasing enforcement of the rules of the road

Enforcement is an essential part of the Safe System. An ETSC report [50] found evidence that drivers are more willing to comply with the rules if they feel that they are otherwise likely to be caught and punished. It therefore recommends that police controls should be sufficiently publicised, regular and long-term, unpredictable and difficult to avoid, and combine both highly visible and less visible activities. A Brake and Direct Line report on Roads policing and criminal justice found almost two in three (62%) drivers said more enforcement would persuade them to take more care on the road. This would enhance road safety but this reality is felt differently by different road users. The latest RITS Driver attitudes and behaviour tracking study [51] highlights that 34% of drivers agree that "you are more likely to be stopped by the police this year". This has gradually decreased over time.

Given the above, there is an issue of road users not perceiving the police to be visible enough for them to improve their behaviour.

Technology, such as alcohol interlock for convicted drink-drivers in some European countries, can be used to enhance enforcement beyond usual road policing by combating the small minority who insist on using our roads in a dangerous and antisocial manner. They continue to present a threat to themselves and others. Other technology, such as speed and red light cameras, have been proven to reduce deaths and injuries, as demonstrated in a report by Professor Richard Allsop, on behalf of the RAC Foundation, [52] which estimated that fixed speed cameras have reduced injury collisions across all severities by 16%, and fatal and serious collisions by 14%.

The level of public support for safety cameras in Scotland [53] is high – a road user perception survey showed 76% agreed with the use of safety cameras and that they are a good thing; 71% agreed they help discourage dangerous driving in areas they are used; and 64% agreed they help prevent accidents in areas they are used.

An important development in the use of technology is the proliferation of dash/helmet cameras, providing digital video and photographic evidence which can be used in prosecutions.

Operation Snap, [54] an award winning initiative by GoSafe Wales (the Welsh equivalent of the Scottish Safety Camera Programme) enables the public to submit footage to the police for such use. Since late 2016, there has been an increase in detection rates without significant extra enforcement costs, and the public has reacted positively to this initiative, often viewed as a form of community policing.

Another form of community policing in Scotland, in which the public assist police in protecting the most vulnerable road users, especially against aggressive driving, is Community Speedwatch. [55] This initiative invites active members of local communities, with police support, to monitor speeds of vehicles using hand-held equipment. Vehicles exceeding the speed limit are then referred to the Police for further action with the aim of educating drivers and encouraging them to reduce their speeds.

Road Infrastructure & Maintenance: Deterioration of road assets and its potential impact on road casualties

The Scottish Government's Infrastructure Investment Plan (IIP) for Scotland 2021-2022 to 2025-2026 sets out a long term vision of infrastructure in Scotland, which supports an inclusive, net zero carbon economy and includes details on over £26 billion of major projects and large programmes. [56] Investment in Scotland's transport infrastructure will support the sustainable travel hierarchy as set out in the National Transport Strategy and Scottish Planning Policy. The projects and programmes listed within the IIP will make a significant contribution to meeting our targets and policies established for reducing collisions on the trunk road network.

Maintaining the road network in Scotland is a vital part of ensuring the safety of the network. Each element of the maintenance regime plays an important part in providing a safe driving environment. Cyclical reviews of the road surface, infrastructure features, and foliage cutbacks, as well as an annual winter service programme, are used to ensure that potential hazards are identified.

Our road network is constantly under pressure due to changes in the volume and type of traffic and requires that we provide solutions in order to meet current and future challenges. We must continue to improve our network by installing engineering measures to provide a safer network. A solution-led approach must be adopted for all types of maintenance works, including routine and cyclical maintenance operations, as well as larger structural/carriageway schemes.

The role of Commissioner was created in 2005 to oversee improvements to the planning, co-ordination and quality of road works in Scotland.  The founding legislation envisages that this will be done by monitoring road works across Scotland by promoting compliance with legislation and 

promoting good practice. The Commissioner monitors performance, promotes and encourages good practice across both utility companies and roads authorities. The Commissioner also has powers to impose financial penalties on roads authorities who systematically fail in their duty to co-ordinate and upon utility companies who systematically fail to co-operate when undertaking road works.

Significant legislative reform is underway within this area. This includes a number of safety measures, such as extending the remit of Safety at Street Works and Road Works a Code of Practice 2013 to Scottish Roads authorities, and the introduction of Reinstatement Quality Plans to organisations undertaking works in the road. 

In Europe it is estimated that road infrastructure and road surroundings are a contributing factor in more than 30% of crashes. Well-designed and properly maintained roads can reduce the probability of road traffic accidents, while "forgiving" roads (roads laid out on Safe System principles e.g. with the protection of roadside hazards to ensure that driving errors do not need to have serious consequences) can reduce the severity of accidents that do happen.

Route risk mapping with proactive road assessments in addition to the more traditional reactive analysis of high accident cluster sites provide useful tools to assess the safety quality of the road network and to target investment.

In addition, as in car technologies advance and become more prominent we need to ensure our infrastructure is ready for the higher levels of automation in vehicles, by launching work towards specifications for the performance of road signs and markings, including their placing, visibility and retro-reflectivity. This is important already today for the functioning of driver assistance systems like Intelligent Speed Assistance (in the case of speed limit signs) and Lane Keeping Assistance (in the case of road markings), and will become more important as the level of automation increases.

Post-Crash Response: improving the fast and effective response to road collisions

The response time and time for treatment after collision, particularly provided by first responders, are crucial; a review of European studies of death in traffic crashes concluded about 50% of all deaths occurred within a few minutes of the crash (immediate deaths), either at the scene or on the way to a hospital. [57]

It then peaks around two-hours after the crash (early deaths), followed by another peak within three to four weeks (late deaths). This curve is called the trimodal distribution of trauma deaths.

If first responders at crash sites manage to control life-threatening haemorrhage, carry out airway manoeuvres, and provide life support in the context of impact brain apnoea, then survivability is very much increased. Treatment within the first hour can largely determine a critically-injured person's chances of survival and can turn a fatal collision into a serious one. In Scotland, most road users are not trained as first responders, so casualties normally receive the first response from emergency service personnel. Transport Scotland will continue to engage with Highways England to identify the merits of improving early responses to collisions. [58]

In 2019, 168 people died in Scotland as a result of a collision and a further 2,001 were seriously injured, affecting many families, friends and the wider community. A serious pursuit of Vision Zero, necessitates improving post-crash response by the emergency services (Police, Ambulance, Fire & Rescue) but also increasing the number of other first responders, who will become essential players in mitigating the seriousness of collisions.

The Scottish Trauma Network [59] is progressing Key Performance Indicators, some of which will align with this framework; for example, access to Major Trauma Centres, for the majority of the population, within 45 minutes by road. The Scottish Trauma Network consists of four regional networks (North, East, South East and West), and the Scottish Ambulance Service (SAS). The Major Trauma Centres at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary and Ninewells Hospital Dundee, treat the most severely-injured casualties to ensure they have the best chance of a speedy recovery. Similar centres are being established in Edinburgh and Glasgow, but will not be operational for another five years.

The clock starts ticking as soon as a collision occurs; if it is on a rural road, or at a time of day when there is little passing traffic, it can be some time before the alarm is raised. To combat and reduce the time lag, an eCall system has been mandatory in all new EU-registered cars since April 2018. Separate legislation already required Member States to put in place the infrastructure to handle eCalls. In the UK, BT is the current provider for all the emergency 999 calls. There is no indication from the UK Government that they will disalign from these EU regulations following our departure from the EU. Since 2010, Euro NCAP's Advanced Rewards has recognised car manufacturers who make available new safety technologies which demonstrate a scientifically – proven safety benefit for consumers and society.

In addition to eCall, 70% of smartphones can now provide the exact location of a 999 caller by sending an automatic text to the call handler, including precise GPS position to within three metres.

Once the emergency call is made, the triage phase starts. In November 2016, the Scottish Ambulance Service began to pilot the New Clinical Response Model (NCRM) for emergency 999 calls with the aim of saving more lives and matching response – to-patient needs more effectively. Under the new system, patients with immediately life threatening conditions, such as cardiac arrest, or who have been involved in serious road traffic incidents, are prioritised and receive the fastest response. It aspires to provide more at-the-scene patient care and the evaluation report of 2019 found a 43% increase in 30-day survival for all patients requiring the most acute level of care. This equates to 1,182 [60] lives saved. 

The UK Rescue Organisation [61] brings together fire and medical services to deliver and develop training, technologies and techniques to improve road safety. This includes new training and better extrication techniques to save time getting treatment to casualties trapped after a collision.

The European Transport Safety Council also recommends emergency services should be provided with and use vehicle rescue sheets [62] to accelerate the victim extrication.

Road Users: unsafe road use by certain types of road users and its effect on road casualties

This challenge covers a range of issues from the perspective of various road user categories – such as young drivers – and from a more generic point of view – such as not wearing seatbelts or people living in areas of deprivation.

Lifelong road use learning

Traffic safety and mobility education, particularly applying its Key Principles, [63] is vital to implementing the Safe System, [64] as it helps develop safe road users. Road safety is a lifelong learning process and education is critical, especially in early years: what our children learn (knowledge), what they are exposed to (experience), and how they behave (skill) at a young age can remain with them throughout their lives. However, excellence in this particular area, is already evident in many parts of Scotland, but it is inconsistent. Using road safety learning resources developed specifically to support Curriculum for Excellence [65] in all schools, teachers, early years staff, parents, carers, road safety officers and lecturers should continue to work in partnership by engaging children and young people in active and experiential learning.

Young drivers (17-25)

In 2019, young drivers (aged 17-25) accounted for 12% of Scotland's licence holders, but accounted for 18% of drivers involved in fatal and serious collisions. Road collisions are one of the biggest killers of young people: in 2019, they accounted for 5% of deaths amongst 17-25 year-old.

Graph 1 shows this age group has a much higher KSI rate per million people, compared to the average rate of the overall population, 611 v 399 respectively.

Graph 1: 2019 Killed and seriously injured per million population, by age band and road user type, Scotland 2019

Road users aged 65 and over

Scotland's population is ageing and, in 2019, 19% of people in Scotland were aged 65 or over. By 2043, the proportion of those of pensionable age is projected to increase to 22.9%. [66] By 2040, this figure is projected to grow to 0.79 million, an increase of nearly 79%. [67] This increase has already had an effect on the total number of casualties for the over 60s [68] which has not reduced markedly since 2004 when compared to the population as a whole (33% v 54%). In relation to driver KSIs, when comparing the average between 2004-2008 and 2014-2018, the trend for the over 60s shows that the proportion of KSIs, has increased by around 7 percentage points. In other age groups, the trends have either reduced, or only slightly increased.

While historically people have tended to travel less as they get older, the current generation is healthier, fitter and more mobile than previous generations. They are likely to travel more but this brings increased risk, often because of frailty. What constitutes a relatively-minor crash for a younger driver or passenger, may be serious or fatal for an older person. Age-related frailty [69] is one of the main reasons why older road users are more likely to suffer death or serious injury in a collision.

Motorcyclists

2019 data show there has been little reduction in fatal or all serious motorcyclist casualties compared to the 2004-08 average. While all modes of transport have shown reductions of 43% (fatals) and 45% all (injuries) in that same period, motorcyclist data shows reductions of 40% and 38% respectively. [70] In 2019, motorcyclists accounted for less than 1% of all journeys and less than 1% of traffic in Scotland but, disproportionately, they represented 7% of casualties. On average, over the years 2015-2019, the motorcyclist casualty rate was highest for the 23-25 age group per thousand population followed by the 16-22 year old age group (0.20 per thousand population).

Seatbelts, drink, drugs and mobile phones

The four biggest dangers whilst driving/riding have been commonly identified as the fatal four. They are still a challenge in Scotland: speeding is covered in a separate challenge, but seatbelts, drink/drug-driving, and mobile phone use are important issues too.

For the period 2015-2019, 16% of in-car fatalities in Scotland [71] were not wearing seatbelts. A PACTS report [72] states that seatbelt wearing reduces both fatal and non-fatal injuries by 60% among front-seat passengers, and by 44% among rear-seat passengers. Seatbelt-wearing by rear-seat passengers also halves the fatality risk for belted front-seat occupants, given the dynamics in a vehicle after a collision. Child car seat specialist, Good Egg Safety, has consistently found, during its popular Community Checking Events across Scotland, the suitability of the child car seats or restraints used in them were inappropriate in 57% of cases. 

They also found, during a mystery shop of car seat retailers (74 premises), 96% of staff failed to ask the necessary questions to identify the most appropriate seat for the child and the vehicle.

Over the period of 2014-2018, an estimated 20 people were killed each year in Scotland as a result of drink-drive accidents.

Driving under the influence of alcohol was a factor in 131 or 3% of all accidents in 2019, with drug impairment a factor in 53 or 1% of accidents.

However, evidence shows that drivers with blood alcohol content level (BAC) between 0.1g/l and 0.5g/l are up to 3 times more likely to be involved in a fatal collision than sober drivers and drivers with BAC between 0.5 and 0.8g are 20 times more likely to be involved in a fatal collision. [73] Driving over the drink-drive limit, individuals are six times more likely to die [74] in a road accident because alcohol and drugs affect the body and mind in the following ways: slower reaction times; blurred vision; being unable to judge speed and distances properly; loss of concentration; difficulty in making rational decisions; impaired coordination; increased risk-taking.

As far as mobile phone use is concerned, a 2016 study [75] found the extra mental workload and cognitive functions drivers have to undertake reduces their reflexes and slows reaction times (both the time to mentally register the event and the time to physically react to it), thus creating a major road safety risk. The latest mobile phone survey undertaken in Scotland [76] recorded the behaviour of 14,427 drivers and found that, while compliance was good, it is decreasing over time.

Being distracted in the car is one of the main contributory factors to road casualties amongst 20–29 year-olds; there is also the obvious issue of pedestrian distraction. In 2019 in Scotland, a distraction to the driver from inside the vehicle was a contributory factor in 2% of recorded collisions [77] ; there is also the obvious issue of pedestrian distraction. It is anticipated that distraction will continue and possibly increase as a road safety concern as use of mobile technology remains prevalent.

Driver fatigue is also a factor in collisions [78] and such collisions are around 50% more likely to result in death or serious injury. [79] Police Scotland data suggest fatigue is a contributory factor in 5.7% of fatalities (5-year average) equating to around ten deaths each year. In 2019, fatigue was a contributory factor in 2% of all collisions. [80]

To illustrate this better, a person who drives after being awake for 17 hours has impaired driving skills comparable to a driver with a BAC of 0.05 mg/ml [81] (the legal limit). When drivers fall asleep, they do not brake or swerve, so any resulting collisions tend to be at higher speeds.

Foreign drivers

Scotland's roads are used by residents and visitors alike, for business, recreation and commuting. All road users have a responsibility to understand and conform to the rules of the road, not only to ensure the safety of themselves, but also that of all road users with whom they interact on a daily basis.

Graph 2 provides statistics on collisions where left‑hand drive vehicles were involved.

* Police Scotland’s move to a new reporting system for collisions (CRaSH) in mid-2019 led to an increase in the number of left-hand drive cars being recorded.

Every country has its own individual traffic laws, and those who drive in different countries must adapt their behaviour to comply. For example, the HGV (>7.5 tonnes) speed limits in Scotland are lower than in England and Wales on dual and single-carriageway roads. In addition, custom and practice may differ from country to country; different Give Way rules, for example, could lead to confusion among foreign drivers resulting in them moving at incorrect times or in a manner that alarms other road users. The causation factor most commonly-anoted for left-hand drive vehicles involved in collisions is 'failed to look properly'. 

Overseas drivers may also be unfamiliar with Britain's imperial system. This could lead to confusion trying to reconcile roadside signage and information with in-vehicle readings (miles vs kilometres). A lack of knowledge of UK and Scots law, practices and measurements could confuse and frustrate drivers, possibly leading to rash actions and a lack of concentration.

If Scotland continues to be promoted as a tourist destination, more effort is required to improve safety for all road users. Furthermore, the number of collisions involving foreign drivers/riders should be monitored to mitigate any emerging trends.

Scotland has promoted itself as having some of the most attractive roads in the world for tourists such as NC500 and this has resulted in an increase in the number of drivers/riders unfamiliar with driving on the left.

A mix of individuals – families and friends – in a variety of vehicles – such as bikes, cars and campervans – driving/riding unfamiliar roads, guided by unfamiliar rules and sharing the space with everyday users makes it essential to address this issue, particularly during the peak touristic months.

Educational resources have been produced on this topic for a number of years through 'Driving in Scotland' leaflets. One was designed specifically for migrant workers (in English, Russian, Polish, Lithuanian and French), but demand for this has tailed-off substantially in recent years and it is now an online-only publication. The second is designed for tourists (in English, French, German, Spanish, Italian and Polish) and includes information on a number of issues including single-track roads.

In addition to the leaflets and website, wristbands in eight languages (English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Dutch, Hindi and Chinese) saying "DRIVE ON THE LEFT" have been distributed through a number of channels, mainly via car-hire companies. This practical solution aims at encouraging companies to engage with drivers in a consistent and informed way.

The drive on the left campaign was launched in the Highlands, an area which attracts a large number of tourists, and drivers and motorcyclists were issued with the leaflets, wristbands and windscreen stickers reminding them to drive on the left and demonstrating the correct position at junctions.

As well as improving foreign driver education we need to apply the correct engineering and enforcement measures, and monitor incidents to ensure we capture any emerging trends and react to them accordingly.

People living in areas of deprivation

There is clear evidence that lower speeds reduce the number of casualties and there is specific evidence of casualty reduction in 20 mph speed limit zones. It is argued that this is particularly true for disadvantaged areas and communities, and could therefore help to reduce the inequality of outcome of lower healthy life expectancy. 

Most deprived areas are more prone to road casualties so are people with vision impairment. Increased road safety in deprived areas gives residents more confidence to use streets and cross roads, and therefore safer access to their communities. For children, road traffic injuries are a major cause of preventable death during childhood and adolescence, and on average three children (under 16 years) died annually on Scotland's roads between 2017 and 2019. According to the Glasgow Centre for Population Health Scotland, child pedestrians from more deprived areas in Scotland are three times more likely to be injured on the roads than those from less deprived areas. [82]

A 2019 Report [83] entitled Inequalities in Mobility and Access in the UK Transport System found that disadvantaged road users are at higher risk of injury and death. There is a significant causal relationship between increased motorised transport and increased road casualties and 

deaths: people from deprived neighbourhoods are more likely to be injured or killed as road users. People in the highest socio-economic groups (SEGs 1 & 2) were found to be substantially less at risk of death as car occupants than people in the lower groups (SEGs 4 & 5). An exploration of the root causes of the high risks of traffic injury in deprived areas in England found a strong relationship between deprivation and pedestrian casualties among all age groups. In particular, children (11–15 years) and young people from disadvantaged areas were found to be involved in traffic injuries, for whom the risk was highest on main roads and on residential roads near shops and leisure services. Despite the fact that rates of death from injury among children have fallen in England and Wales over the past 20 years, serious inequalities in injury and death rates remain, particularly for pedestrians and cyclists. People living in disadvantaged areas tend to live in more hazardous environments, with greater proximity to high volumes of fast-moving traffic and high levels of on-street parking. As such, they have higher levels of exposure to road traffic risk, which is exacerbated by their reliance on walking, and the lack of safe spaces for children and young people. In addition, high levels of hazardous and illegal driving behaviour posed a risk to people living in disadvantaged areas. Children's exposure to higher risks of traffic injury is mainly related to few safe, secure, and well-maintained public spaces and costly leisure venues.

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Current traffic around Scotland

The following traffic incidents and congestion for Scotland have been reported by Highways England, Traffic Scotland, Traffic Wales or Transport for London (TfL) in the last two hours:

Traffic in Nearby Villages

• Burton Overy (0.62mi)
• Carlton Curlieu (0.88mi)
• King's Norton (1.24mi)
• Illston on the Hill (1.39mi)
• Gaulby (1.39mi)
• Little Stretton (1.75mi)
• Great Glen (1.96mi)
• Great Stretton (2.24mi)
• The Woodlands (2.24mi)
• Shangton (2.24mi)
• Frisby (2.24mi)
• Kibworth Harcourt (2.48mi)
• Care Village (2.77mi)
• Bulwick (2.78mi)
• Noseley (3.1mi)
• Wistow (3.1mi)
• Billesdon (3.1mi)
• Tur Langton (3.1mi)
• Kibworth Beauchamp (3.11mi)
• Houghton on the Hill (3.17mi)
• Rolleston (3.34mi)
• Newton Harcourt (3.34mi)
• Stoughton (3.51mi)
• Stonton Wyville (3.62mi)

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Scotland in 'dangerous' moment for climate goals

• Published 22 hours ago

Scotland is in a "dangerous moment" as it tries to establish new climate plans, an expert has told MSPs.

Chris Stark of the Climate Change Committee (CCC) was speaking at Holyrood days after the Scottish government ditched its emissions targets.

Ministers had been committed to reducing greenhouse gases by 75% by 2030.

They insist the long-term target to reach net zero by 2045 remains.

The Scottish government announcement came after Scotland missed eight of its annual targets, making the legal obligation for the 2030 goal unachievable.

Speaking at Holyrood's Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee, Mr Stark said a nine-fold increase in decarbonisation would have been needed to reach that legal target and it was "beyond credible" that the Scottish government could have achieved that.

• Scottish government scraps climate change targets
• Scrapped climate target is global embarrassment - charities

Scotland loses climate change lead, advisers warn

Reaching net zero means no longer adding to the total amount of greenhouse gases - such as carbon dioxide and methane - in the atmosphere. The Scottish and UK governments are bound to this target by law.

The CCC is a statutory body that gives independent advice to ministers and assesses progress on targets.

It warned in 2022 that Scotland had lost its lead over the rest of the UK in tackling the issue.

Mr Stark, the outgoing CCC chief executive, said the organisation had been "damning of the Scottish government's performance" in their last progress report.

It pointed out that Scottish targets had been missed eight times and the 2030 target to reduce emissions by 75% from 1990 levels was "beyond credible".

He said there was no policy package that could deliver anything close to the nine-fold increase in decarbonisation levels needed to hit that goal.

'Consultations and promises'

However, Mr Stark gave credit to the Scottish government for taking the "difficult step" of admitting to parliament that the target could not be met.

"The essential concern I have is that policy really matters in this area," he said.

"If we want to reduce emissions we need policy to steer what happens in the private sector and steer the incentives to decarbonise the Scottish economy. And that is extraordinarily difficult when all we have is consultations and promises.

"These are very dangerous moments," he said. "This is the first part of the United Kingdom that has felt it has to withdraw targets under any of the climate change that we have."

He said there was now an "empty vessel act" with a 2045 net zero target in law but no policies set to meet it, and that vacuum could be filled with "nefarious voices".

Mr Stark said the next 12 months would be a test of how serious the Scottish government is on its climate credentials.

"Policy matters more than targets," he added. "But incredible targets cannot be met and I'm absolutely sure that that has been part of the problem. We've had a target for 2030 that could not be met in any practical sense, and therefore a legal obligation on ministers that could not be discharged.

"We must not find ourselves in this position again because there is a credible path to net zero by 2045."

Edward Mountain, the Conservative convener of the committee, asked whether ministers had misled the committee and the CCC that a new climate change plan was coming despite knowing "that they couldn't meet their targets".

Mr Stark said: "I can't answer for them but I do know that the legal obligation is very clear in the act so the minister must produce a plan that meets the targets."

He said they were still expecting a new plan in order to produce a Scottish progress report in the second half of 2023.

"Frankly, we were annoyed for all sorts of reasons about the fact that we didn't get that plan," he added.

He said he was pleased the government would no longer be giving annual targets, which are "at the mercy of events" such as cold winters, and had moved "towards something that looked more like carbon budgets" similar to the UK government's approach.

Mr Stark said he fully understood why ministers did not take up some of the options needed to meet the 2030 target, such as removing all petrol and diesel cars from the roads.

"These are not palatable options and they are very expensive as well - it was purely because the target is too high, " he said. "These are things that we didn't recommend for the other parts of the UK because they are so far out of kilter with the steps we feel the country needs to take over all."

He said other domestic measures that could be implemented include removing fossil fuel use in homes.

However, he said, a smooth transition to this would involve a change of heating system when a property is purchased, which should be factored into the cost of houses, and this would tap into the "increase in property wealth we've seen over the last decades".

Prof Keith Bell, Scotland champion for the Climate Change Committee, said the pathway to net zero was "absolutely critical".

"It's not just about public sector action, as important as that is, it's also about setting the scene for private sector action," he said. "Even if there isn't a target in the interim relating to 2030, policy has to be delivered as if there is."

He said gradually replacing older equipment with low carbon options over time was more cost effective.

The Scottish Conservatives net-zero spokesman Douglas Lumsden said Mr Stark's evidence suggested "abject failure" from the Scottish government.

He added: "The SNP-Green government need to heed these warnings, stop deflecting blame elsewhere and actually deliver on their climate change promises this time."

Earlier this week, Mr Stark told the BBC that Prime Minister Rishi Sunak had "clearly not" prioritised the issue as much as his predecessors and said the UK had made enormous progress towards reaching the climate target of net zero by 2050 under Theresa May and Boris Johnson.

Related Topics

• Greenhouse gas emissions
• Scottish government

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