Road Safety Week launched with pledge to make Scotland’s roads safer

Scotland’s first Road Safety Week – a new initiative from the Scottish Government and Transport Scotland – was launched today to encourage road users to take greater personal responsibility and work together to make roads safer.

In its inaugural year, Scotland’s Road Safety Week, which runs until Sunday (March 27), will urge organisations throughout the nation to pledge their support on social media by posting the message – Working together to make Scotland’s roads safer. #ScotRoadSafetyWeek.

Minister for Transport Jenny Gilruth said: "The Scottish Government is absolutely committed to making Scotland’s roads safer for everyone, and our Road Safety Framework sets out a long-term goal where no-one is killed or seriously-injured on our roads by 2050.

"The launch of Scotland’s first Road Safety Week provides a platform for organisations to work together to improve safety on our roads and help achieve this ambitious goal."

Organisations across Scotland – including Police Scotland, Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, COSLA and Good Egg Safety – will mark the week by hosting a series of road safety events, from child car seat checks to community action campaigns.

Chief Superintendent Louise Blakelock, head of Road Policing, said: "This week will serve as an important reminder that safety on our roads is a shared responsibility. Police Scotland divisions across the country are getting behind this important new initiative by hosting road safety events with a focus on drink and drug driving, vulnerable road users and older drivers."

The initiative forms part of the Road Safety Framework, which sets out a vision for Scotland to have the best road safety performance in the world by 2030, and an ambitious long-term goal where no-one is killed or seriously-injured on our roads by 2050.

Michael McDonnell, Road Safety Scotland director, said: "Scotland’s Road Safety Week is a great opportunity for organisations to work together and spark a national conversation about making our roads safer.

"Every road user has a part to play by keeping themselves and others safe on the roads. We’d like to encourage organisations across Scotland to get involved this week and join us in pledging their commitment to help make Scotland’s roads safer."

The framework has adopted the Safe System approach to road safety, with five pillars interacting to create this: Safe Road Use; Safe Vehicles; Safe Speeds; Safe Roads and Roadsides; and Post-crash Response.

For more details about Scotland’s Road Safety Week, visit https://roadsafety.scot/topics/road-safety-week/

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