More than 30 representatives from organisations across Aberdeenshire have recently met with a view to improving road safety across the region through education, engineering and enforcement.
Attendees included officers from Aberdeenshire Council, Aberdeen City Council, Nestrans, Transport Scotland, Amey, Police Scotland, NHS, NESCol, Aberdeen University, and local councillors, as well as several other stakeholders and businesses that regularly use Aberdeenshire’s road network.
Earlier this year, ASCO approached Aberdeenshire Council with concerns about dangerous driver behaviour on the A90 and A952. It was agreed that a collaborative approach across both the public and private sector was needed to contribute towards improved road safety on these routes and beyond.
Throughout the recent event, there was a strong willingness from partners to work across organisational boundaries to support casualty reduction across the North-east.
For example, opportunities were discussed around the rollout Digital Evidence Sharing Capability from dashcams; to make the region a test bed for pilot initiatives that could enhance road safety; and to further educate drivers and other road users around responsible road use through the partners’ existing network of educational resources.
Aberdeenshire Council Leader Cllr Gillian Owen said: "It was fantastic to see so many organisations attending the seminar, all with the shared vision of a safer road network in Aberdeenshire.
"This seminar was the outcome of a meeting I had with ASCO. They invited me to their Peterhead depot to discuss issues on the A90 Ellon onwards and the A952 in my role with the 'Why Stop at Ellon?' campaign.
"Road safety is everyone’s responsibility and Aberdeenshire Council is keen to explore how it can work with partners on our shared road safety priorities because collaboration across both the public and private sector is what's needed to continue to improve road safety in the region."
Chair of Aberdeenshire Council's infrastructure services committee Cllr Alan Turner said: "The main cause of collisions, both in Aberdeenshire and nationally, is driver error and poor driver behaviour, which was the theme that linked the discussions throughout the day.
"The police do their best to deter, challenge, and educate dangerous drivers. We will also do all we can to work across organisations to try to influence driver behaviour and improve road conditions, because keeping our roads safe is of clear benefit to people, communities, and businesses across the region."
The seminar marked the first step in these collaborative discussions, and future actions are hoped to be worked on though the recently re-established Road Safety North East Scotland Group due to next meet in November.