Take care on East Ren roads

The Scottish Government’s Don’t Risk It campaign — fronted by Formula 1 star David Coulthard — focuses on the dangers of speeding on country roads, which account for the largest number of traffic accidents in Scotland.

Around 73 per cent of all road fatalities take place on winding rural roads — amounting to 126 deaths each year.

Councillor Tony Buchanan, convener for infrastructure and sustainable growth, is reminding motorists to take care on East Ren routes.

He told The Extra: “This area, being fairly rural, has many country roads. Like others in Scotland, they can often be unpredictable, no matter how familiar someone might be with the area.

“A total of 126 deaths is a shocking tally, so it is welcome that moves are being made to address it — I’d urge all drivers to heed this very important message.”

According to a Police Scotland report detailing East Renfrewshire stats for the first quarter of 2014/15, road casualties remain low in the area, with no deaths recorded in April and June of this year and only three serious injuries.

Speeding remains an issue, with 198 incidents reported in April/June — although that figure marks a 42.1 per cent drop from the previous year.

The David Coulthard campaign was initially launched in March 2013, and officials say it has proven one of Scotland’s most successful road safety messages.

On the relaunch, Police Scotland chief superintendent Iain Murray said: “We are urging drivers to pay careful attention to the road ahead, check their speed regularly and adapt to the changing conditions on country roads.

“By educating drivers of the consequences of ignoring simple safety advice, such as adjusting your speed on country roads, we hope this latest campaign will contribute to a further reduction in deaths on Scotland’s roads.”

Keith Brown, minister for transport, added: “We have been making good progress towards meeting our road casualty reduction targets — but we know we will always have to maintain the same level of effective road safety intervention work.

“The number of people killed and injured on Scotland’s roads fell by 10% last year, with casualty numbers in 2013 at the lowest level since records began.

“We have achieved a lot, but there is still much to do, as every life lost is one too many.”

To find out more, visit www.dontriskit.info or find Road Safety Scotland on Facebook.