A north politician is to focus on speeding in his mission to promote safer driving – after fresh data confirmed a worse rate for motoring offences in Scotland than south of the border.
Highlands and Islands Labour MSP David Stewart has given his backing to national and international initiatives planned for 2017 aimed at slowing down drivers.
A road safety week is planned for Scotland in November while the fourth United Nations Global Road Safety Week runs from next Monday – both focusing on speed.
“Speed is a factor in almost all road collisions in Scotland,” Mr Stewart said.
“Even if not the primary cause, it can be a contributory factor and it certainly plays a major part in the resultant casualty severity.”
Mr Stewart said he and colleagues in the North Of Scotland Driving Awareness Team would speak with business people, the police, road safety groups and others in the coming weeks to rally support for the group’s own “safer speed, safer roads” campaign.
“Over the past seven years,” he said, “we have, as a team and by working with others, made a real difference with regards road safety across the Highlands, Islands and Moray.
“Whilst we worked closely with the Scottish Campaign against Irresponsible Drivers, we’ve been successful in persuading the Scottish Government to introduce drug driving limits in Scotland. By working with local businesses we’ve launched many other successful local road safety campaigns.”
He urged constituents to contact him with their thoughts by writing to him via david.stewart.msp@parliament.scot or by letter to 3 Gordon Terrace, Inverness, IV2 3HD or at his Stornoway office, 34 Cromwell Street, Stornoway HS1 2DD.
SIDEBAR
One in five new drivers has an accident in the first 12 months on the road, according to data David Stewart has collated.
Statistics held by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency shows 3.2million licence holders in Scotland, with more than 300,000 having points on their licence.
It equates to one-in-10 Scottish motorists with penalty points while the figure for the rest of the UK is one in 14.
