Julie Smith, Communcations Officer for the Partnership commented ‘overtaking lanes are there to enable drivers to overtake slower moving vehicles, however this must always be done within the speed limit.  Although overtaking lanes do have two lanes they are not ‘dual carriageways’ and are therefore submit to the same speed limits as ’single carriageways’.

 The road which runs from Dyce to Banff witnessed, on average, more than 3 fatal road collisions each year between 2005 and 2010, which is almost 50% higher than the national average¹.

To address the road safety issues an in-depth route study has been carried out and a range of measures to encourage safer road use recommended. The partners agreed to focus on the reduction of inappropriate speed as the first measure. 

Engineering in the form of additional road signage and new hard standings has begun, and will assist speed enforcement by Grampian Police at existing and new locations.  The works, which have been funded by NESTRANS, Community Safety Partnership and the Safety Camera Programme, will be complemented by a series of education and encouragement methods.

During the upcoming months the focus will be on the local communities and their ability to alter the behaviour of road users.  The A947 Working Group Spokesperson, Mel Edwards commented ‘The A947 is your road, you may use it to commute to work, take your children to school or to visit friends and family – whatever you use it for I would stress the importance of keeping it safe, not only by driving safely yourself but by discouraging others from driving in an unsafe manner.’  The local community is reminded that they can contact Grampian Police at any time if they witness inappropriate driving.

The partners hope to get in touch with local businesses and community groups to gain public ‘tie-in’ and pupils from local schools along the route will be visited.

Evaluation of driver behaviour will be assisted by the use of new vehicle counters, which not only measure the speed of each vehicle but also the distance between them.  They will provide an instant insight into driver behaviour at particular times of the day and days of the week as they use direct ‘dial-in’ technology. 

The ongoing signage and hard standing work is due for completion by the end of March.

Notes to editor:

• Mel Edwards, Principle Engineer Road Accident Investigation Unit Aberdeenshire Council, can be contacted on 01224 665285.
• The A947 between Dyce and Banff measures approximately 61 kilometres/38 miles.
• The A947 Working Group comprises Aberdeenshire Council, NESCAMP and the Emergency Services.
• NESCAMP is a Partnership of Grampian Police, Aberdeenshire Council, Aberdeen City Council, The Moray Council and Transport Scotland.
• NESTRANS is the Transport Partnership working for Aberdeen City and Shire.
• Reference ¹ Statistics taken from the Grontmij A947 Route Study Report, http://www.aberdeenshire.gov.uk/transportation/roadsafety/index.asp
• A formal media launch will take place in the future after the current engineering works are complete.

An enforcement vehicle will be positioned on Beach Boulevard which features a banner reminding people of the 30mph speed limit.  If deemed a success the banner may be used at other speed enforcement locations such as North Esplanade West.

 Julie Smith, spokesperson for the Partnership commented ‘NESCAMP do not want to catch people out, we want to slow people down.  It is hoped that by reminding motorists of the speed limit in this manner they will reduce their speed on Beach Boulevard and other city dual carriageways which have a 30mph limit.’

The speed limit along this stretch of road is 60mph for non restricted vehicles such as family cars or motorcyles, 50mph for light goods vehicles and cars towing trailers or horse boxes and 40mph for heavy goods vehicles.

Motorists seem oblivious to new signage which not only highlights that speed enforcement may take place but also confirms the limit is 30mph on North Esplanade West.

The signs which form part of NESCAMPs ‘A956 Ellon roundabout to Cove roundabout’ Route, feature a ‘Box Brownie’ camera sign and a 30mph speed limit sign, set on a blue background and have been in position since July.

However during September over the course of four visits and six hours of speed enforcement 120 motorists were detected.

Julie Smith, Communications Officer from NESCAMP said ‘to detect an average of over 20 offences per hour at any site is very, very disappointing.

The new signage highlights that the speed limit is 30mph yet motorists continue to drive in excess of that limit. 

I would like to stress that dual carriageways within the city do not automatically have a 40mph speed limit.  In fact there are over ten such roads in Aberdeen which are subject to a 30mph limit. 

Motorists must remember that the speed limit is there for the safety of all road users’.

Road Safety Grampian held the special screening of “Closer to the Edge” as part of a campaign targeting bikers at the Belmont Picturehouse in Aberdeen.

 The film documents the journey of entrants to the world-famous races, which take place each year on a dangerous and thrilling course.  

The event marked the end of this year’s Operation Zenith motorcycle safety campaign and gave bikers the chance to speak to a range of experts and learn more about ways to increase their safety on the road.

Operation Zenith has been running for the last two years and is a partnership between local authorities, retailers and emergency services, focusing on a “four E’s strategy” of Engineering, Encouragement, Education and Enforcement.

Casualty levels involving motorcycles have fallen over the course of the campaign so far and everyone is keen to see the downward trend continue.

Last year saw an overall 22% reduction, and this year’s campaign is on track to reduce this further.

Inspector Jim Wood explained the thinking behind screening the film: “If we had decided to play it along the traditional lines of delivering a road safety message within an established format, we would have missed an opportunity to speak to the very people we are trying to communicate with.

“So, just as we have tried to do over the last two years, we decided to do something different in the way we try to get people to think, and in the way we bring our message to our target audience.”

For every mile a motorcyclist travels they are 50 times more likely to be involved in a serious or fatal road traffic collision.

In the north-east, out of a vehicle population of over 330,000, there are only 11,000 bikes. And for every four people killed on our roads in the last five years, one of those four has been a biker.

This means bikers are more vulnerable than any other road user. Even the child pedestrian, who traditionally gets the highest road safety profile of all, statistically has less likelihood of being seriously injured or killed.  

In the six years since 2005, four children have unfortunately been killed in pedestrian collisions in the north-east – during the same period 42 bikers lost their lives.  

These startling figures were the catalyst for Operation Zenith, with all the partners feeling strongly that something positive had to be done to reduce this.

Local biker, Paul Finch, said: “I would be very worried about anyone who watched the film last night and went away thinking only about the thrill of riding at 200mph.

“It was good because it recognised that there was and is a real fascination and thrill about those who do this, but it was extremely effectively balanced with the risks and consequences of doing so, and I think this was the lingering impression.

It was great entertainment, jaw dropping, funny and really well executed. The organisers couldn’t have got a better film.”

Chairman of Aberdeenshire Council’s Infrastructure Services Committee, Peter Argyle, said: “Our message throughout the operation has been that we want people to come and enjoy the roads we have, to enjoy their biking, but to do so in away that they are safe, and that they ride defensively and responsibly to reduce the chance of them becoming a statistic. 

“By taking a moment to think before you turn the key, you may not only reduce the chance of being involved in a collision, but may also reduce the impact that a fatal or serious collision can have on the rural communities in the north east who can sometimes feel that the road outside their door has become a bit like the TT.”

One of the messages for those at the film screening was that improved riding standards and skills are proven to help to reduce casualties. 

Further training is something actively promoted and supported by Operation Zenith, whether it is Bikesafe, Enhanced Rider or advanced riding skills through IAM, RoSPA or any of the local providers.  

Operation Zenith aims to educate motorcyclists by actively targeting behaviours and related offences which are linked to road traffic casualties, and earlier this year was recognised at the Scottish Transport Awards in the category of Best Transport Team/Partnership of the Year.

Tough-talking radio adverts, targeted enforcement, ‘training courses and new motorcycle signs are just a few of the measures used to carry the campaign’s safe riding message. 

Julie Smith, Communications Officer for NESCAMP commented ‘Beach Boulevard is an important site for speed enforcement as it has a tragic history of collisions, which includes a pedestrian being fatally injured there in April 2010.

During September we spent an increased amount of time on the Boulevard to remind people to watch their speed.  It is disappointing that 28 motorists were detected however when you consider our most recent traffic survey showed, on average, just under 8000 vehicles travel on that road every day I believe the vast majority of motorists are observing the limits.

However I would still like to take this opportunity to remind people that the Beach Boulevard has a 30mph speed limit, albeit a part time limit of 20mph features in one section.  The high pedestrian footfall of the area makes it extremely important for motorists to stay within the permitted limit.’

NESCAMPs highly visible enforcement vehicles can be situated in three locations along the stretch of the boulevard, with each location being suitable for both approaching and receding vehicle detection.

ID is not required if you wish the photographic evidence to be posted to your address.

 Reported Road Casualties Scotland 2008 reports the estimated average cost of:

• an injury accident to be over £96,000
• a serious accident to be over £218,000
• a fatal accident to be over £1,900,000

 By the end of 2009 there were over 400 fewer personal injury accidents and over 170 fewer fatal or serious accidents at safety camera sites per year.

 In 2009 the Scottish Government invested £6.5m in the Safety Camera Programme.

The Scottish Safety Camera Programme Director, Jim Dale said: “This statistical report illustrates that the Scottish Safety Camera Programme is delivering excellent value for money.  Not only are we helping to save lives but we are also reducing the financial impact of road collisions on the Scottish economy.”

The full statistical publication can be accessed at http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2010/07/16104117/0

91% of speeding offenders stated they were more aware of their speed as a result of being detected and 39% said they no longer speed.

When asked what makes drivers speed, almost half of the respondents said that they believed it was because they were either in a rush or impatient.

The Scottish Safety Camera Programme Director, Jim Dale said: “We are encouraged by the results of this survey; it demonstrates that the public are supportive of safety cameras.   People believe that if they speed they will arrive at their destination quicker, in reality they will probably only save a couple of minutes but in the process they are putting themselves and other road users at risk.   Whatever the argument for or against safety cameras; the fact is that speeding is dangerous, antisocial and illegal.”

The survey also looked at what would help prevent drivers speeding in the future and the top two responses were for more driver training and more safety cameras.

Jim Dale continued: “The work of the Scottish Safety Camera Programme is not just about enforcing speed limits, a great deal of work is undertaken to educate drivers about speed limits and the dangers of inappropriate speed.

“Regrettably, a high proportion of the public still believe that safety cameras are there to make money.   This is not the case, since April 2007, safety cameras north of the border have been funded directly from the Scottish Government and all fine revenue goes directly to the UK Treasury in Westminster.”

The survey illustrates that there is still further work to be done to educate drivers about speed limits.   1 in 10 drivers believe that the speed limit for a car travelling on a single carriageway road is 70 mph, a whole 10 mph above the national speed limit.

The research also identified that three quarters of respondents regularly see safety cameras at the roadside.   This includes fixed cameras, mobile cameras and average speed cameras.   The main aim of the Scottish Safety Camera Programme is to influence driver behaviour by the targeted enforcement of speed limits at locations where there is a history of fatal and serious accidents and also an identified problem with speeding.

Kathleen Braidwood, road safety officer at RoSPA Scotland, added: “Drivers need to appreciate that when they see a safety camera sign they are on a stretch of road that needs particular care as there will have been a high number of serious crashes.   We fully support safety cameras as part of the solution to making our roads safer for all.”

Scottish Safety Camera Programme Public Survey Results

ENDS

Notes to Editors:

For a copy of the survey, images and interviews please contact Julie Smith, Communications Officer, 01224 826594 or nescamp@grampian.pnn.police.uk .

NESCAMP Is a partnership comprised of Grampian Police, Aberdeen City Council, Aberdeenshire Council, the Moray Council and Transport Scotland.

• Ashbrook Research & Consultancy Ltd, Glasgow, conducted the research during August 2010.
• The 800 face to face interviews were conducted in Aberdeen, Dumfries, Dundee, Dunfermline, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Inverness and Stirling.
• Local survey results are not available

Safety cameras in Scotland are operated by eight Partnerships under the umbrella of the Scottish Safety Camera Programme.  The Partnerships include local authorities, Police Forces, the NHS, Fire and Rescue Services and the Scottish Government.

The principle aims of the Scottish Safety Camera Programme are to:

• reduce the number of people killed and injured on the roads
• help raise public awareness of the issues and dangers of inappropriate speed
• make speeding as socially unacceptable as drink driving
• change long-term driver behaviour in relation to speeding and red light running.

The Partnerships were launched as follows: