REACTION: The Scottish Government's consultation regarding the National Speed Management Review

Response to the Scottish Government’s consultation on the National Speed Management Review

IAM RoadSmart Road Safety Manager Scotland Stewart Mackie said: “As a road safety charity, we support measures that will reduce casualties on the network. However, we believe a blanket national speed limit reduction will be counterproductive and may even increase risky overtaking manoeuvres, which the data shows resulted in 70 fatalities between 2015 and 2020. We support lower speed limits being applied where data and evidence suggest they will be most effective, which includes options for targeted speed limit reductions to even below 50mph on more dangerous stretches. Moreover, safety upgrades to road infrastructure will make a sizable difference in reducing collisions, so those upgrades that were cancelled must be reconsidered. Opting for a blanket national speed limit reduction will not provide an adequate level of scrutiny of Scotland’s major road collision hotspots. We hope ministers take this into consideration.”