Go Safe on Scotland's Roads: road safety framework to 2020

Chapter Seven
Driving for life

This chapter focuses on a 'start to end' road user education system - a lifelong learning approach to driving. Our aim is to introduce a cultural change so that driving ability is viewed as a skill to be maintained and enhanced rather than just achieved at a single
point in time.

7.1 Pre-Drivers

"Early intervention with road safety messages to target future road users is essential … attempting to change young road users' opinions once they have reached driving age is extremely challenging."
(Police)

The Issues

Research suggests that children who have road safety education from an early age, including cycling training, make safer drivers in later life. ²¹ The research concluded that a developmental track for risky road user behaviour can be traced from very young children to individuals of driving age. Effective early intervention promises a move away from "a focus on 'picking up the pieces' once things have happened, towards prevention". ²² The vital contribution of early years education lies in developing and broadening the range of children's learning experiences to equip them for the future. Road safety education is a life skill and, as such, is a vital part of that early learning experience.

A survey commissioned by RSS gained insight into attitudes to road safety amongst young people aged between 14-17 who intended to learn to drive before the age of 20. ²³ This established that young people generally regarded speeding in rural environments to be the most acceptable type of driving misbehaviour. Driving after the consumption of excessive levels of alcohol was largely frowned upon, but there was tacit acceptance of driving after moderate consumption, and certainly while under the legal limit. Importantly, there was practically no outright rejection of driving under the influence of drugs. The aim of the research was to inform the development of an effective Communications Strategy which would target pre-drivers with information that might change their future driving behaviour.

What we do now

The RSS 'Crash Magnets' resource and website for senior pupils aims to encourage responsible attitudes to driving before they get behind the wheel. The resource covers issues such as drink driving, speeding, seatbelt use and mobile phone use.

Safe Drive Stay Alive is an initiative run by the emergency services in partnership with private and public sector partners for young pre-drivers. It shows a reconstruction of an actual crash and the aftermath on video, interspersed by representatives of the local emergency services recounting the incident, how they felt, and illustrating the full human horror. The event finishes with messages from members of the public who have been involved in a crash or whose loved ones have been killed or seriously injured in a crash.

The Scottish Qualifications Authority ( SQA) has been working in partnership with the DSA on the development of a Safe Road User Award. This award is aimed at young people from 14-16 (before they begin driving) and aims to build positive attitudes to road use and to help young people to take responsibility for using the roads safely. This award is not just about driving, but about road use in general, by pedestrians, horse riders, passengers in cars, etc.

The award consists of two units, one of which is about developing positive attitudes as a road user, while the other covers the knowledge and understanding needed for safe road use. Pupils must complete both units to receive the award. Those who complete the award will receive partial credit towards their Driving Theory Test.

What we need to do next

We need to ensure that young people are fully equipped and prepared for a life of safe and enjoyable driving. As previously mentioned, research suggests that children who have road safety education from an early age, including cycling training, make safer drivers in later life.

Commitments

In Government, and in partnership with other stakeholders, we will:

• Seek to influence young people's attitudes to road safety and future driving behaviour before they get behind the wheel.
• Support the implementation and encourage take up of the safe road user award.
• Develop a guide to organising pre-driver events for senior secondary school pupils.

What we all can do:

• As parents, relatives and carers who travel with young people, set a good example for them in our own driving behaviours and habits.

7.2 Drivers aged 17-25

"Young drivers should be a priority. It is clear that all across Scotland the agencies charged with reducing the casualty levels on our roads have to deal with a disproportionate level of collision involving drivers under 25 years of age. They are over represented in the accident statistics and while the many and diverse education campaigns undoubtedly help, more needs to be done."
(Local Authority)

The Issues

In 2007, drivers in the 17-25 age group accounted for 25% of all drivers involved in road accidents in Scotland. Figure twelve illustrates that this age group has the highest proportion of involvement in road accidents as drivers and riders. Male drivers in this age group are twice as likely as females to be involved in an accident.

Figure twelve: Age of (known) driver/rider involved in all road accidents, 2007

Around 24,000 younger drivers pass their driving test in Scotland every year. However, as many as one in five will be involved in a crash in their first six months of independent driving. This is mainly due to lack of experience rather than intentional risk taking. Crashes involving drivers aged 17-25 often include young passengers - around 45% of whom are aged 15 and 59% are aged 16.

Research, published in 2005, ²⁴ was used to inform and evaluate an advertising campaign aimed at making younger drivers more aware of their vulnerability.

The study found that younger males:

• Generally associated driving with power, speed and 'showing off' to their friends. They aspired to owning fast, powerful cars and were more likely to display annoyance at groups of other road users.
• Displayed strong confidence in their driving ability and a belief that they were already good drivers. Dangers were perceived to come from other road users, despite admitting they occasionally took risks themselves.

It found that younger females:

• Associated driving with freedom and perceived passing their test as a natural progression in the process of entering adulthood.
• Put stronger emphasis on the personal impact of bad driving. They cited physical injuries such as disfigurement, broken bones, whiplash and a necessity to visit hospital, e.g. physiotherapy treatment, as the potential aftermath of having been a victim, or the cause, of an accident.

Further reviewed research and data on accidents on rural roads, also published in 2005, ²⁵ highlighted that young drivers were in particular at risk and found that young male drivers were most likely to drive at excessive speeds. The review also found that young drivers were disproportionately associated with positive breath tests following single vehicle accidents on rural roads.

Research carried out by the Transport Research Institute at Napier University ²⁶ concluded that the higher incidence of crash involvement by younger drivers is part explained by the fact that the frontal lobe region of the brain does not fully develop until a person is around 25 years old. The functions of the frontal lobe include recognising future consequences of current actions; selective attention; anticipation, feelings and emotions. When watching videos designed to test their reaction to risk, younger drivers often lacked the fear or the gut instinct to enable them to anticipate danger and take the avoiding action.

Qualitative research commissioned by the Scottish Government in 2008 ²⁷ sought the views of people aged 16-25 with regard to their perceived rights and responsibilities as road users, their concerns regarding road safety, what motivation would be required to make them safer and how aware they were of the level of risk to which they are exposed when using the road. Focus groups were drawn from both urban and rural locations. The research concluded that younger drivers rarely considered themselves to be at risk and mostly considered themselves to be good drivers. Passengers reported high levels of trust in their friends as drivers. They were also unsure about the legal limit for drink driving and were more likely to travel with a drink driver if they also had been drinking. Furthermore, it found that young people were open to gaining more driving experience after passing their DSA test through participation in Pass Plus or similar, but were not in agreement with restrictions on young drivers, viewing these as discriminatory.

What we do now

Research published by the IAM Motoring Trust ²⁸ states that 'young drivers are made not born' and recommends a ten-point package of actions for making younger drivers safer. These are:

• recognising the effect of driving in poor weather on rural roads;
• better preparation for solo driving post-test;
• integration of road safety education within the curriculum;
• guidance for parents;
• persuading the insurance industry to recognise pre-test driving to be low risk;
• early identification of male drivers exhibiting poor driving behaviour;
• better targeted enforcement;
• a more comprehensive pre-test training regime;
• greater investment in 'on road' safety features; and
• incentivisation of the uptake of in-car technologies such as Electronic Stability Control.

The Driver Training and Testing Regime is administered by the DSA. A consultation exercise in 2008 asked for views on overhauling the regime and included a proposal to include additional steps prior to fully qualifying as a driver. The Scottish Government fully supported these proposals but urged the DSA to also consider post-test training to encourage a 'drive for life' culture.

RSS has produced a leaflet entitled 'So your Teenager is learning to Drive'. This leaflet is aimed at parents and carers, giving advice on how to help their children become safe and confident drivers, capable of handling any situation on the roads.

RSS's Driver Behaviour Strategy aims to reduce crashes involving younger drivers. To capture the attention of this particular audience it is important that RSS is innovative in its use of publicity relating to speeding, drink and drug driving and seatbelt use. An award-winning initiative of this type developed by RSS is the XBox initiative.

XBox Initiative The disproportionate number of young people killed and injured on Scotland's roads has resulted in many road safety campaigns having young people (particularly young males) as a key target audience. It is important to engage with this group on their own ground and this has meant that RSS has had to look at new and innovative ways to target them. According to media experts, this group is unlikely to see advertising on traditional channels, preferring satellite television or gaming consoles as evening entertainment. The opportunity to tap into the live gaming market was pursued and, in a world first, Microsoft agreed to trial geographical marketing within the XBox environment. RSS has now run two campaigns, one on drink driving and one to support the rural road distraction cinema advert. Until this initiative, all live gamers would have seen only adverts for global companies. Using ISP addresses, RSS was able to target only those with a Scottish-registered address and, while users from across the world continued to see adverts from global companies, Scottish gamers saw road safety adverts.

Road Safety Units throughout Scotland are taking action to raise awareness among young people of their vulnerability on the roads and to encourage responsible driving attitudes. The following case study, for example, highlights a qualification which can be studied whilst learning to drive. The course addresses driving skills, attitudes and behaviours for all drivers, but in the case study, Fife Road Safety Unit is piloting the initiative specifically for young people who are learning to drive.

BTEC in Driving Science - Fife Fife Road Safety Unit has built on its driving education programmes year on year from early intervention with S1 pupils through to S6 'Life after Learning' programme in all Fife Secondary Schools. Added to this there is also an award winning Fife Pass Plus Initiative, which has been running for a number of years. This initiative is aimed at new drivers but also has an evening involving parents who have a large part to play in their son's or daughter's safety as a driver. However, it was felt that there was a gap in the provision of education and it has been decided to fill this with an a2om BTEC in Driving Science, which is the world's first academic/vocational qualification for drivers. This qualification has been many years in the making and is informed by a considerable amount of research. It gives the new driver a complete education in driving, along with a qualification that can be entered on a CV and which would be looked on favourably by employers. The course gives drivers the opportunity to improve the standard of their driving, whatever their skill levels. Drivers develop not only physical skills of driving but also risk management techniques for life. They also learn how changing lifestyles, personality, beliefs and attitudes can influence their driving. Fife Road Safety Unit worked alongside a2om personnel and trained 26 local driving instructors to enable them to promote and run the course with their pupils. It will promote the BTEC course through schools and colleges. It also hopes to encourage new drivers to take the course that by doing so whilst learning to drive, rather than post test, the results may be better and lead to more positive drivers. Fife intends to sponsor a number of young people through the course and then evaluate the results.

Post Test Training is available from various providers of additional and advanced driving. Organisations such as RoSPA and IAM offer courses for many vehicle classes and for specific driving skills acquisition. Courses range from the traditional motorcycling and car driving to more specialist areas such as reversing and skid control.

A number of companies now exist to help young people find a safer way to enjoy the freedom and fun of driving. These businesses specialise in getting young people into safer, new and nearly-new cars. They also offer driving lessons if required and insurance at competitive rates.

Young Marmalade is one such company. It provides an insurance and car ownership package for young drivers enabling them to get: cheaper car insurance; a larger no claims bonus; and a new or nearly new car with modern safety features such as airbags, ABS brakes, a high EuroNCAP safety rating and stability control.

Penalties for breaking the law are more stringent for newly qualified drivers. In order to encourage them to drive sensibly, they can have their licence revoked if they accumulate six penalty points in the first two years after passing their driving test. They are then required to re-sit all parts of the driving test.

What we need to do next

The issue of young drivers was the subject of much debate in our road safety consultation. There are very different views on how we should tackle the disproportionate fatality rate of drivers and passengers of drivers in the 17-25 age group. We want to encourage further training, possibly through insurance incentives, and we want to explore further new and innovative ways to reach this group of road users.

Some countries have graduated licences for newly qualified and young drivers. This involves various restrictions which include not being able to drive after a certain time at night, and restrictions on speed and engine size. There is strong support for the introduction of graduated licences from some areas within the Scottish road safety community, albeit that this is a reserved matter.

The Scottish Government believes that 'young drivers' is an issue that should be subject to further debate.

Commitments

In Government, and in partnership with other stakeholders, we will:

• Continue to look for innovative ways to target younger drivers with appropriate messages about safe driving, to increase their awareness and understanding of their vulnerability, and the dangers they face due to inexperience.
• Provide information and support for parents and carers on how to set a good driving example.
• Encourage younger drivers to undergo post-test training by engaging with the private sector, including the insurance industry, to explore incentivisation.
• Encourage initiatives which lead to qualifications, safer driving attitudes and behaviours.
• Conduct a public debate on young driver issues including graduated licences and additional training.

What we all can do:

• Set a good example for new drivers by displaying good driving habits.
• All drivers should consider taking post driver training which has been proven to deliver improvements in key areas of speed choice and anticipation of hazards.

7.3 People who Drive for Work

The Issues

Up to one-third of all road crashes involve someone who is driving for work purposes and more employees are killed in 'at work road accidents' than in all other occupational accidents. ²⁹ It is not only commercial vehicle drivers who are at risk as many people are required to drive their own cars whilst working.

UK Government research ³⁰ looked at the relationship between an organisation's safety culture, the attitudes of its drivers to safe driving behaviour and accident risk. The study concluded that there was a relationship between accident rate and driver attitudes. In particular, low company accident rates corresponded with the highest percentage of drivers with positive attitudes, whilst higher company accident rates corresponded with the highest percentage of drivers with negative attitudes.

Legal Requirements for Employers There is a legal requirement for employers to manage the duty of care for employees driving for work. This includes drivers who drive their own vehicles. The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 states: "It shall be the duty of every employer to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health and safety and welfare of all employees." Both management and employees can be prosecuted for road traffic crashes involving work-related journeys, even when the driver is using their own vehicle. Under Health and Safety Executive regulations, there is a requirement for any organisation employing five or more people to have a written policy statement on health and safety, which should cover work-related road safety. In the case of work-related road incidents, organisations will need to provide evidence that they have taken reasonably practicable steps to manage their duty of care. The Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act 2007 came into force in April 2008. This created a new offence where death is caused by a gross breach of duty of care by senior management.

What we do now

RoSPA encourages employers to have Managing Occupational Road Risk ( MORR) policies in place. Advice and guidance on MORR and access to other publications relating to people who drive for work can be found at: www.rospa.co.uk/roadsafety/resources/employers

The Scottish Occupational Road Safety Alliance ( ScORSA) was established by RoSPA in Scotland. Its key aims are to:

• Facilitate networking between key stakeholders;
• Encourage joint working to raise awareness in organisations of the need for action on work-related road safety;
• Promote the exchange of information on new initiatives and best practice; and
• Contribute to the delivery of this Road Safety Framework for Scotland.

MORR in the Scottish Government The Scottish Government recognises that driving whilst carrying out Scottish Government business is one of the higher risk activities performed by its staff. To protect staff who drive for work and other road users, the Scottish Government has produced a MORR procedure. Guidance has been developed to assist line managers in meeting their health and safety obligations with regards to ensuring staff are authorised to drive and also for staff who drive for work. It details the support mechanisms available to develop and maintain driving standards. This should result in transferable skills and experience which can be utilised outwith work. The procedure applies whether the vehicles involved are under the control of the Scottish Government, the employee or hired from a third party. It details what must be done to minimise their risk of injury, loss of life and/or damage to property whilst driving for work. This includes an annual document check of driving licences, insurance, MOT and road tax. In addition there is an e-learning module for all staff who drive for work purposes which they must pass to become an authorised driver. The document details the responsibilities of senior managers, line managers, relevant departments such as the Motor Services Unit and employees themselves. There is also a generic MORR assessment developed by the Occupational Health and Safety Board to help managers determine that all hazards have been identified and risks evaluated. A copy of this document is attached at Annex D.

MORR as implemented by Black of Dunoon In 1984, Black of Dunoon introduced a series of measures designed to impress the importance of a positive approach to road safety on all staff who are required to drive in the course of their work. The businesses are involved in the production and distribution of bakery products together with an autonomous transport company which operates within the road haulage sector. The bakery distribution arm operates within strict time frames, delivering to customers throughout South West Scotland. Delivery times are consistently to specification and achieved with an enviable safety record. All prospective drivers are tested by one of the directors prior to employment and regular assessments are carried out on both day and night driving. Each driver is also instructed in the proper use of new vehicles and is made aware of individual characteristics in different weather conditions. Delivery schedules are made up by a director who re-assesses all new drivers after one week's employment. An important part of the driver responsibility is carrying out stipulated, documented safety checks on a daily basis. In the case of bakery distribution, due to the early starts, these checks are carried out at the end of the shift. All other drivers carry out the checks before driving and vehicles are not permitted on the road until even minor faults are rectified. A six-weekly check is carried out by non-company personnel. Whilst mobile phones are fitted to vehicles, use of these on the move is not permitted and this is written into terms of employment. The detrimental effect of stress is recognised and this is also appreciated by driving staff. Commercial vehicles carry the 'DRIVESafe in Argyll and Bute' logo and current strapline. The success of these actions can be measured by the low insurance claims and the consequential reduction in premiums.

There are a variety of advanced training courses that employers can provide for employees who drive for work. Every Approved Driving Instructor ( ADI) is required to be registered by the Instructor Services & Registration Team ( ISRT) based in DSA headquarters in Nottingham. DSA also regulate the training companies who offer the Compulsory Basic Training ( CBT) scheme for novice motorcyclists. DSA does not currently regulate any other aspect of LGV, PCV or motorcycle training but does operate a voluntary registration scheme for LGV/ PCV instructors and has plans to implement a voluntary registration scheme for motorcycle trainers. More information can be found at: www.dsa.gov.uk/OrganisationDetails.asp?id=1556&cat=223

The European Union has introduced a new qualification for professional bus, coach and lorry drivers - the Driver Certificate of Professional Competence ( CPC). The new qualification, which is being developed by the DSA in the UK, will also affect bus, coach and lorry drivers from other countries in the European Union. Existing drivers will not have to pass the initial qualification but will be subject to the periodic training requirement. The new qualification was introduced in 2008 for bus and coach drivers and in 2009 for lorry drivers. Further information is available at: www.transportoffice.gov.uk/crt/vehicledrivers/drivercpctrainingforbusandlorrydrivers/drivercpcforbuscoachandlorrydrivers

Scottish Government Staff Training The Scottish Government has procured advanced driver training for all staff that drive in excess of 25,000 miles per year. Training packages are also recommended for consideration if a member of staff who drives for work has been involved in a traffic accident, has penalty points on their licence or who have been reported for reckless driving.

The Safe and Fuel Efficient Driving ( SAFED) scheme is a valuable driver development course, which aims to improve the safe and fuel efficient driving skills of HGV drivers. The benefits are reduced accident involvement, lower costs, lower emissions and less unproductive downtime for vehicle repair. More information on this can be accessed at: www.safed.org.uk

The UK Government is carrying out a review of the UK domestic drivers' hours' rules which apply to most goods and passenger carrying vehicles that are exempt from the EU drivers' hours' rules. The aim of the review is to collate and examine evidence as to the effectiveness of the current regime in meeting relevant objectives, such as road safety and decent working conditions for drivers; fair competition within the road haulage and passenger transport industries; and minimising burdens placed on operators. This evidence will then be used to consider whether there is a case for change and, if so, to examine possible options and make recommendations.

What we need to do next

We want to highlight the risks of driving for work and to encourage all employers to adopt management of road risk policies. We want to promote training for both professional drivers and people who drive for work, whether that is on an everyday basis to get to customers, or occasionally to attend meetings, etc.

We want to help ensure that HGV drivers work appropriate hours and have access to facilities where they can rest. The provision of rest areas is a commercial matter, however, there are currently very few in Scotland and quality is variable. Facilities available for car drivers do not always provide suitable areas for HGVs and there can be security issues. We would encourage commercial ventures to provide rest areas with facilities to combat driver fatigue on long journeys and we are keen to explore how other countries have addressed this issue.

Commitments

In Government, and in partnership with other stakeholders, we will:

• Encourage and support the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents ( RoSPA) (Scotland) with the formation of the Scottish Occupational Road Safety Alliance ( ScORSA) in order to raise employers' awareness of the need to have a policy on Managing Occupational Road Risk ( MORR).
• Continue our activities to ensure that Safe and Fuel Efficient Driving ( SAFED) training is embedded within the freight industry.
• Introduce SAFED training for van drivers in Scotland.
• Provide road safety and driver awareness sessions for Scottish Government staff.
• Ensure that all contractors working with Scottish Government have a MORR policy in place.
• Encourage an increase in the provision of rest areas across Scotland.

What we all can do:

• Find out if your organisation has a MORR policy and always drive in accordance with its principles.
• Sign up for any advanced driving training offered by employers.

7.4 Older Drivers

The Issues

In 2007, 87 drivers aged 70 and over were killed or seriously injured in Scotland (14 died) and three motorcyclists aged 70 and over were seriously injured (none died).

Research published by the UK Government ³¹ found that driving performance reduced with increasing age, but that up to age 80, the reduction was very small.

In general, older drivers will have held a driving licence for many years and the majority will not have undertaken further training since passing their test in spite of significant changes in driving conditions and their own driving ability.

In this instance, the issue is more one of anticipation rather than statistics. Scotland has an ageing population who are more active and living longer than previous generations. The proportion of older people holding a driving licence, particularly women, has been increasing and is expected to continue to do so. Many want to continue driving as long as possible in order to maintain independence.

What we do now

At age 70 and every three years thereafter, drivers are required to renew their driving licence. Whilst there is no requirement for drivers to produce evidence of fitness to drive, they are required to notify any medical conditions that may affect their driving.

Through RSS, the Scottish Government targets messages at older drivers via the medium of Theatre in Education. 'Urban Roadeo' is one such play developed for drivers and pedestrians aged 55 and over. The play tours annually and is accompanied by a booklet which provides advice on issues such as knowledge of the Highway Code, distraction, impairment, medication and further training.

Driving Safer for Longer - Devon County Council Devon County Council, in partnership with Torbay Council and Devon and Cornwall Constabulary, have developed several initiatives aimed at older drivers under the banner of 'Driving Safer for Longer'. These include leaflets on a variety of relevant issues including keeping fit to drive and the use of medicines and drugs. There is also a road fit test which can be taken when facing a health issue to assess fitness to drive. Details can be accessed at: www.devon.gov.uk/index/transport/roads/road_safety/drivingsaferforlonger.htm

What we need to do next

We believe that driving is a skill which can benefit from updating and enhancement through additional and advanced training throughout life. We want to encourage older people who drive to be aware of their responsibilities in relation to driving and the ageing process and to take advantage of additional training. We want to investigate how to publicise, facilitate and even incentivise this.

Commitments

In Government, and in partnership with other stakeholders, we will:

• Promote initiatives to raise awareness amongst older drivers of their vulnerability and ways in which they can address this.
• Encourage full use of public transport.
• Investigate ways to promote and facilitate initiatives relating to further training for older drivers including consideration of incentivisation to do this.

What we all can do:

• View driving as a lifelong learning process.
• Make full use of concessionary bus travel.

7.5 Drivers from Abroad

The Issues

The Association of British Insurers ( ABI) reports that, in the UK, foreign goods vehicles are almost three times more likely to be involved in an accident than UK goods vehicles. In an ABI report, published in 2007, ³² it stated that drivers from elsewhere in Europe were involved in over 18,000 recorded accidents in the UK.

In 2001, the Scottish Executive published a report ³³ on tourist road accidents in rural Scotland, which concluded that tourist activity does not significantly boost road accident numbers in the rural tourist areas of Scotland. However, the document further reported that the accidents caused by foreign drivers involved driving on the wrong side, turning, and crossing the centre line, with the majority arising from the drivers' lack of experience of driving on the left.

While most road signs are pictographic by nature and, therefore, should be self-explanatory, we are aware that there may be both language and cultural differences which increase the risk of road accidents involving foreign drivers. Additionally, a number of overseas visitors may be unaware of differences in road traffic law in this country from that of their own.

What we do now

RSS has produced a leaflet for overseas visitors which provides advice on driving in the UK. Designed for tourists and translated into French, Italian, German and Spanish, it also includes an adhesive 'keep left' sticker for in-vehicle use. The leaflet can be accessed at www.road-safety.org.uk/downloads/downloads_publicity.asp .

Following advice on the issues surrounding migrant workers and the most appropriate languages, RSS has also produced a series of booklets giving advice and information in four languages: Polish, French, Lithuanian and Russian. These are published on the RSS website at www.road-safety.org.uk/downloads/downloads_publicity.asp .

Strathclyde Safety Camera Partnership has produced eye-catching postcards depicting Scottish rural road scenes and landmarks, with important advice for drivers from abroad, including speed limits for cars and caravans on the reverse side along with other useful information on traffic law in Scotland.

Prevention of Side-Swipe Incidents by Left-Hand Drive Heavy/Longer Goods Vehicles ( HGVs) There are up to 500,000 foreign drivers travelling on UK roads, many of which are in left-hand drive HGVs. One of the risks with these vehicles is that left-hand drive lorry drivers can't easily see a car overtaking them on the right. In 2006, more than 400 side-swipe incidents occurred in the UK. In order to tackle this problem the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency ( VOSA) trialled the use of Fresnel lenses. These are placed on the passenger side window giving the driver a clearer view of overtaking vehicles which are in the driver's blind spot. Three months before the trial began, the Regional Intelligence Unit collected data on the number of side-swipe incidents in South East England, 34 involving left-hand drive HGVs. They then repeated the exercise for the three months after 40,000 lenses were distributed by Customs and Immigration Officials at the Eurotunnel and numerous French Ports. It was established that the number of side-swipes dropped by about 59% during the pilot period and VOSA estimate that use of Fresnel lenses has the potential to avoid around 300 such incidents annually. In addition to achieving a reduction in crash and casualty numbers, this represents savings between £2 million and £5 million in delays per annum. Following this success, VOSA has now distributed 90,000 lenses at British and French ports.

What we need to do next

We want to work with relevant organisations including car hire companies, Visit Scotland and the United Kingdom Border Agency ( UKBA) to ensure that foreign tourists and migrant workers receive and understand information to help them drive safely on Scottish roads.

Commitments

In Government, and in partnership with other stakeholders, we will:

• Continue to meet the demand for the migrant workers booklet, exploring the need for production in other languages. We will also consult with the United Kingdom Border Agency ( UKBA), to ascertain the most effective way to disseminate the information as widely as possible.
• Continue to produce the tourist information leaflet and 'keep left' sticker. We will consult with Visit Scotland to ensure it is promoted widely in advance of the tourist season each year.
• Continue to monitor accidents involving foreign drivers and discuss and implement appropriate actions, with partners where relevant.
• Promote the use of Fresnel lenses by left-hand drive HGVs to avoid blind spots and side-swipe incidents.

What we all can do:

• Be aware that drivers of left-hand drive HGVs will have restricted vision of other vehicles overtaking and be particularly vigilant when overtaking left-hand drive HGVs.
• Resident foreign drivers should make themselves fully aware of UK traffic laws.