Road crime in Scotland will be tackled head-on by all eight Scottish Police Forces when the Association of Chief Police Officers launch the Scottish Summer Road Safety Campaign today, Monday 9 August 1999.
The three-week campaign will see all eight Scottish Police Forces tackle the three major causation factors in road accidents - speeding, drink-driving and failing to wear a seatbelt - using high-profile policing, road checks and intelligence-led operational patrols. Warnings and reportings of offenders will be carried out by officers in marked and unmarked police vehicles, using the most sophisticated technical equipment. The campaign aims to increase the public's awareness of the dangers associated with careless driving behaviour and to reduce the number of deaths and injuries on Scotland's roads.
This latest drive to highlight the dangers of drink-driving, speeding and driving while unrestrained, comes as the Crimestoppers organisation launches its own national road crime crackdown, 'Stop Road Crime', sponsored by Green Flag. The Stop Road Crime initiative covers all aspects of road crime but will particularly focus on driver behaviour, drink/drug driving, disqualified driving and document offenders.
Members of the public will be encouraged to play their part in the Summer Road Safety Campaign, by using the confidential freephone telephone number to pass on information concerning crime on Scotland's roads. The [http://www.crimestoppers-uk.org/index2.asp]office hours will be extended until the early hours of the morning and additional traffic officers will be on hand to take telephone calls. The campaign is supported by 75,000 promotional leaflets and credit cards publicising the Crimestoppers phone number.
Last year, 385 people died on Scotland's roads - a slight increase on the figure for 1997 - and a further 4,067 people were seriously injured in road accidents. In the same year, there were 3,539 child casualties, including 32 fatalities: an increase of six over the number for 1997. Research show that inappropriate and excessive speed is estimated to be a factor in around one third of all fatal road accidents while approximately one in seven road deaths in Great Britain in 1997 resulted from alcohol-related road incidents. A survey of seat belt use in Scotland published last year, found that while 94 % of car drivers and 92 % of front seat passengers wore a seat belt, only 55 % of adult rear passengers were restrained. If a vehicle is in a crash at 30mph, an unrestrained back-seat passenger is thrown forward with a force of three and a half tons and will strike the front seat passengers at 30mph.
Last year during the two-week enforcement phase of the national Summer Road Safety Campaign, a total of 361 motorists were detected driving while over the limit or refused to provide a breath sample. A total of 6,314 motorists were reported for driving at excessive speed, with 62% being detected speeding in a 30mph limit. Many people were found to still be ignoring the law with regard to the wearing of seatbelts during the campaign last year: a total of 6,447 drivers and passengers were found to be in a moving vehicle while not wearing a seatbelt. Drivers continue to be the main offender group with 5,106 caught during the campaign last year.
Mr William Spence, Chief Constable of Tayside Police and Chairman of the ACPOS Road Policing Standing Committee, said: -
"The aim of this co-ordinated campaign is to reduce accidents, injuries and their severity by influencing the attitude of drivers towards speeding, drink-driving and driving while unrestrained. Road accidents are avoidable and we can reduce the level of death and injury on our roads by highlighting and targeting those acts which have the greatest effect on casualty numbers.
All eight Scottish Police Forces will make the best use of intelligence to target those areas where positive action can have a positive influence in reducing casualties and those persistent offenders who represent the greatest threat to safety on our roads.
Whilst the Police use every means at their disposal to tackle the problem of irresponsible driving - for example, high profile campaigns and targeted road checks - there is little doubt that there is a major part to be played by the public if further reductions are to be made and our roads are to become safer for all road users.
The launch of the national [http://www.crimestoppers-uk.org/index2.asp] initiative, 'Stop Road Crime', encourages members of the public to report anyone that they see committing any road traffic offence, which, in the long-run, will help save lives on Scotland's roads."
Ms Fiona Murray, Director of the Scottish Road Safety Campaign, said: -
"The three major traffic offences that this campaign will be tackling are often the cause of death and injury on Scotland's roads. Drivers falsely hold a number of beliefs about their own driving ability and this campaign will challenge these beliefs. Drivers must take greater responsibility for the safety of others on the roads and it is hoped that this message will get through to motorists via a publicity campaign on bus backs and radio adverts."