Orkney’s Road Safety Strategy to 2030

IMAGE: A rural road runs through open fields and fenced moorland towards hills under a cloudy sky. The cover title reads “Orkney’s Road Safety Strategy to 2030”. Logos for the Scottish Ambulance Service, Police Scotland, NHS Orkney, Orkney Islands Council, and Scottish Fire and Rescue Service appear at the bottom.

Contents

• Document Control and Council Approval — 3
• Foreword — 3
• Introduction — 5
• National Progress towards Scottish Government’s Road Safety Targets 2010-20 — 7
• Local Progress towards Scottish Government’s Road Safety Targets 2010-20 — 8
• Scotland’s Road Safety Framework to 2030 — 9
• Strategic Outcomes and Safe System Pillars — 10
• Safe System — 11
• Challenges and Strategic Actions — 13
• Road Safety Management Performance — 15
• Road Safety Education in Orkney Schools — 17
• Engineering in Orkney — 21
• Scottish Fire and Rescue Service — 23
• Scottish Ambulance Service — 24
• NHS Orkney — 25
• Enforcement — 26
• Partner Links — 28

Document Control and Council Approval

Foreword

It is with pleasure I introduce you to the Orkney Road Safety Strategy to 2030. This is a key document that complements the Scottish Government’s Road Safety Framework that ambitiously seeks to make Scotland’s roads the safest in the world.

Road traffic collisions, be those between two or more vehicles or a single vehicle colliding with a fixed object should never be referred to as ‘accidents’ as such incidents are often unconsciously considered as unfortunate events that happen either by chance, unintentionally and unexpectedly.

The truth is that all road traffic collisions are wholly avoidable if road users simply drive according to the road conditions and observe the rules and legislation designed to ensure their safety.

Besides the painful human cost to families and communities arising from fatal or life-changing road incidents, there is also a huge financial burden on the public purse, especially in respect of crash investigation, frequent legal/court actions and the NHS, to highlight just some of the key elements.

The aspiration to make Orkney’s roads crash-free and thereby the safest anywhere is achievable.

Orkney’s public and voluntary agencies will therefore work in partnership focusing on what is known as the ‘Safe System’ concept – namely Safe Road Use; Safe Vehicles; Safe Speeds; Safe Roads and Roadsides; and Post-crash Response can make this vision become a reality.

Awareness raising of responsible driving among road users (safe road use), robust policing of our roads (safe vehicles/safe speeds), identifying and addressing road design etc. (safe roads and roadsides) and the scrutinising/acting upon data to, for example, pinpoint the possible cause of crashes recurring at a specific location (post-crash response) enabled through a co-ordinated approach can only be beneficially productive.

However, none of this will work quite so effectively without the co-operation of all who use Orkney’s roads. Drink-driving, speeding, failing to wear a seatbelt and using mobile ‘phones when driving all tend to feature significantly in crashes where people are either killed or seriously injured. We must make these unacceptable behaviours a thing of the past and can only ultimately be accomplished with your co-operation.

The responsibility that every driver bears is awesome. Getting behind the wheel of a motor vehicle must never be taken lightly. Your life and those of others depends on your behaviour.

I hope you find in the pages to follow a useful and workable strategy that will lead to road tragedies and life-altering incidents becoming history.

Finally, I’d like to thank all involved in developing this document together with the various public services that work tirelessly to keep our roads safe and to all responsible and careful road users whose behaviour can only encourage others.

Cllr. Dave Dawson

Chair – Orkney Road Safety Forum

IMAGE: A formal portrait of Cllr. Dave Dawson, Chair of the Orkney Road Safety Forum.

Introduction

Orkney’s Road Safety Forum, a multi-agency group, comprising representatives from Orkney Islands Council; Police Scotland; NHS Orkney; Scottish Fire & Rescue Service; Scottish Ambulance Services and other interested parties, has been paramount in the production of Road Safety Plans for Orkney. The Forum is committed to working together to improve safety on the roads throughout the islands thus reducing the number of road collisions and road casualties in Orkney.

Orkney’s Road Safety Forum is a stakeholder in one of Transport Scotland’s three new Local Partnership Forums formed to expand and grow the connections between national and local road safety across Scotland. The Forum’s remit is to review, analyse information and evidence supporting delivery of the strategic actions of the Framework and share information and best practice between members.

The North Forum comprises representatives from the following Councils:

• Aberdeenshire
• Aberdeen
• Angus
• Comhairle nan Eilean Siar
• Dundee
• Highlands
• Moray
• Orkney
• Perth and Kinross
• Shetland

The Scottish Government’s new Road Safety Framework to 2030 builds on what has already been achieved over the last decade and sets out a vision for Scotland to have the best road safety performance in the world and an ambitious long-term goal where no-one dies or is seriously injured on our roads by 2050.

The Highway Code

The Highway Code rules were updated in 2022 to improve the safety of people walking, cycling and riding horses and introduced 3 new rules about the new ‘hierarchy of road users’. This concept places those road users most at risk in the event of a collision at the top of the hierarchy. The hierarchy does not remove the need for everyone to behave responsibly.

Local Authority Statutory Duties

The Roads (Scotland) Act 1984 places the statutory responsibility for local roads improvement, maintenance and repair with local authorities.

The Road Traffic Act 1988 places a statutory duty on local authorities and they must prepare and carry out a programme of measures to promote road safety and take appropriate measures to prevent such accidents, including the dissemination of information and advice relating to the use of roads, and practical training to road users.

National Progress towards Scottish Government’s Road Safety Targets 2010-20

The previous road safety framework was published in 2009 and set out a collaborative approach and the vision for road safety in Scotland, the main priorities and issues. It included five Scotland-specific targets to 2020 associated with milestones to 2015. It initially contained 96 commitments to be delivered by 2020.

Table 1: Casualty reduction targets in Scotland’s 2009 Road Safety Framework

Table 2: Progress against five national casualty reduction targets for 2020 since 2004/08 baseline

Local Progress towards Scottish Government’s Road Safety Targets 2010-20

Table 3 – Local progress towards Scottish Government’s Road Safety Targets 2010-20

Figure 1 – Injuries on Orkney’s roads 2010-2020

• People seriously injured: 38
• People killed: 16
• Children (aged <16) seriously injured: 5

IMAGE: A donut chart titled “Injuries on Orkney’s roads 2010 - 2020” shows 38 people seriously injured, 16 people killed, and 5 children aged under 16 seriously injured.

Scotland’s Road Safety Framework to 2030

Scotland’s Road Safety Framework to 2030 defines five strategic outcomes to help achieve the vision:

The outcomes provide an integrated approach – both collision and post collision; all working in harmony to prevent deaths and serious injuries.

• Safe Road Use
• Safe Roads & Roadsides
• Safe Speeds
• Safe Vehicles
• Post-Crash Response

Strategic Outcomes and Safe System Pillars

Strategic Outcomes

IMAGE: A diagram states that Scotland is to have the best road safety performance in the world. Five coloured sections surround the central statement: Safe Road Use, Safe Vehicles, Post-Crash Response, Safe Roads and Roadsides, and Safe Speeds. The diagram defines the outcomes as follows: Safe Road Use is achieved from road users who decide the most sustainable way to travel, know and comply with road rules, and take responsibility for the safety of themselves and others, especially the vulnerable. Safe Vehicles are well-maintained vehicles that reduce the risk of collisions and, if a collision occurs, reduce harm to road users including pedestrians, cyclists, horse riders, motorcyclists and vehicle occupants. Safe Speeds means that road users understand and travel at appropriate speeds for the conditions and within the speed limits. Safe Roads and Roadsides are self-explaining, with designs that encourage safe and sustainable travel and are predictable and forgiving of errors. Post-Crash Response allows an effective and appropriate response to collisions; victims receive appropriate medical care and rehabilitation, lessons are captured and acted upon, and families of people killed or seriously injured are appropriately supported.

Safe System

A Safe System involves those who manage and design the roads as well as those who use them; each is responsible for, and must contribute to, eradicating fatal and serious injuries. Ultimately, all road users are expected to use the roads safely and comply with the rules.

In addition to describing the road safety environments the Strategic Outcomes aim to deliver they also align with the five pillars - effectively layers of protection - of the Safe System approach:

Safe Road Use

Safe Road Use - safe road users are competent at all levels, including: paying full attention to the road ahead and the task in hand; adapting to the conditions (weather, the presence of other users, etc.); travelling at lower speeds; not driving while impaired through drink, drugs (including medicines) or fatigue; not being distracted by in-vehicle technology (mobile phones, entertainment systems, sat navs, etc.); and giving sufficient room to all other road users, no matter what their mode of travel.

Safe road users are mindful of the hierarchy of road users, which ensures that those road users who can do the greatest harm have the greatest responsibility to reduce the danger or threat they may pose to others. They respect other road users at all times and assume responsibility for others’ safety as well as their own.

Measures to encourage safe road use also include working together to reduce car-based traffic, inspiring people to use active modes, such as walking, wheeling or cycling or to use public transport rather than their own vehicles.

Safe Roads and Roadsides

In a Safe System, roads and roadsides are designed to reduce the risk of collision, and to mitigate the severity of injury should a collision occur. A combination of the design and maintenance supported by the implementation of a range of strategies to ensure that roads and roadsides can be as safe as possible can reduce casualties on our roads.

One way in which this can be achieved is to both segregate different kinds of road users and the traffic moving in different directions or at different speeds. If this is not possible, promoting positive behaviours and safer sharing of spaces, as well as the appropriate use of speed limits and signage, can also be a much more affordable and sustainable way to protect the most vulnerable road users.

Safe Speeds

Speed limits in a Safe System are based on aiding crash-avoidance and reducing the speed at which impacts occur. This ensures the body’s limit for physical trauma is not reached or exceeded. The Safe System aims to establish appropriate speed limits according to the features of the road, the function it serves, and the physical tolerance of those who use it.

The key factors that should be considered in any decisions on local speed limits are:

• history of collisions
• road geometry and engineering
• road function
• composition of road users (including existing and potential levels of vulnerable road users)
• existing traffic speeds
• road environment

Safe Vehicles

Vehicles are designed and regulated to minimise the occurrence and consequences of collisions to road users. This applies not only to vehicle occupants, but also to pedestrians, cyclists, horse-riders and motorcyclists. Making vehicles safer involves both ‘active’ safety measures, such as autonomous emergency braking, which can prevent collisions occurring in the first place, and ‘passive’ safety measures, such as seatbelts and airbags, which protect occupants (and other road users) if a collision does occur. It is also vital to ensure vehicle roadworthiness is regulated to the highest standards. Technology within vehicles, such as feedback from the speedometer and seatbelt reminders can also educate road users about safe road use.

Increasingly, roads and vehicles will be managed within an intelligent transport system, relying on ever-more autonomous vehicles and smart infrastructure. As safety becomes hardwired into vehicle technology and road design, there is potential to further reduce road casualties and deaths through this route.

Post-crash Response

It is vital to work with the emergency services and the National Health Service (NHS) to enable the best possible response to collisions, ensure victims are effectively cared for, and facilitate meaningful investigations into the causes and potential solutions for the future. Health outcomes for victims rely on the ability of the system to quickly locate and provide emergency first responder care, in order to stabilise victims and transport them to hospital for further specialist treatment.

Challenges and Strategic Actions

To address current and emerging challenges, 12 Strategic Actions have been identified which are overarching and not allocated to any nominated road safety partner. They are the collective responsibility of all stakeholders and road safety partners.

They will be translated and expanded into sub-actions through the development of both national and local delivery plans. These plans will be flexible, in order to address current and emerging casualty or danger trends.

The delivery of the strategic actions underpinned by the sub-actions contained in delivery plans will be monitored through the three-tier structure of the framework governance.

Table 4 – Strategic actions

The strategic actions are:

• Speed
• Climate
• Funding
• Change in attitudes
• Technology
• Active & Sustainable Travel
• Knowledge & Data Analysis
• Enforcement
• Health
• Education
• Infrastructure
• Reduce Inequality

The framework’s corresponding areas are:

• Climate Emergency
• Active & Sustainable Travel
• Health
• Safe System
• Speed Management
• Road Safety Delivery
• Driving/Riding for Work & Workplace Culture
• Emerging Technologies
• Enforcement/Deterrence
• Road Infrastructure & Maintenance
• Post-Crash Response
• Road Users

IMAGE: A matrix titled “Table 4 – Strategic actions” maps the 12 strategic actions against 12 framework areas using check marks. The rows are Speed, Climate, Funding, Change in attitudes, Technology, Active & Sustainable Travel, Knowledge & Data Analysis, Enforcement, Health, Education, Infrastructure, and Reduce Inequality. The columns are Climate Emergency, Active & Sustainable Travel, Health, Safe System, Speed Management, Road Safety Delivery, Driving/Riding for Work & Workplace Culture, Emerging Technologies, Enforcement/Deterrence, Road Infrastructure & Maintenance, Post-Crash Response, and Road Users.

Road Safety Management Performance

The explicit, longer-term goal of the Safe System is for a road traffic system which becomes free from death and serious injury through incremental, targeted improvements within a specified safety performance framework.

All Safe System work is based on a performance framework, with a hierarchy of targets –

The Long-term Goal of moving to zero fatalities, as set out in the National Transport Strategy 2 Delivery Plan, and serious injuries in road transport by 2050.

IMAGE: A pyramid diagram presents a hierarchy of targets. From the top down, it reads: “Long-term Goal to 2050”; “Interim Targets to 2030”; and “Intermediate Outcome Targets — Are derived from both Intermediate Measures and Key Performance Indicators.” A blue panel states: “The Long-term Goal of moving to zero fatalities, as set out in the National Transport Strategy 2 Delivery Plan, and serious injuries in road transport by 2050.”

IMAGE: An infographic lists the following interim targets to 2030: 50% reduction in people killed; 50% reduction in people seriously injured; 60% reduction in children aged under 16 killed; and 60% reduction in children aged under 16 seriously injured. Intermediate outcome targets are: 40% reduction in pedestrians killed or seriously injured; 20% reduction in cyclists killed or seriously injured; 30% reduction in motorcyclists killed or seriously injured; 20% reduction in road users aged 70 and over killed or seriously injured; 70% reduction in road users aged between 17 to 25 killed or seriously injured; percentage of motorists driving/riding within the posted speed limit; and the casualty rate for the most deprived 10% SIMD areas is reduced to equal to the least deprived 10% SIMD areas. Intermediate measures are: casualty rate per 100 million vehicle kilometers for cyclists killed and seriously injured; casualty rate per thousand population for pedestrians killed and seriously injured; and number of people killed and seriously injured in collisions where at least one driver/rider was driving for work, not commuting.

Road Safety Education in Orkney Schools

Education encompasses all road users and includes ensuring that children and young people receive road safety education during their school career.

Road Safety Scotland (RSS) is responsible for the development of road safety learning resources which provide end-to-end learning in road safety, starting from early years and continuing throughout the school curriculum and beyond.

All the resources are linked to Curriculum for Excellence and offer different learning styles to engage teachers and learners, and make the learning appropriate, relevant and challenging at every level.

www.roadsafety.scot

IMAGE: A graphic titled “Road safety learning at every level” shows learning resources by school stage. Early includes “Go Safe with Ziggy” and “Roadstars”. First includes “Roadstars”. Second includes “Roadstars”, “JRSO”, “Reaction Timer”, “a2bsafely”, and “The Journey (P7 only)”. Third & Fourth includes “Your Call”, “Reaction Timer (S3 only)”, “School Daze (S1 only)”, “a2bsafely”, and “Get in Lane”. Senior Phase includes “Crash Magnets (S4 & S5 only)”, “Reaction Timer”, “a2bsafely”, “Get in Lane”, and “Friends Disunited (S5 only)”.

Early

Early: to inspire a child’s interest in road safety learning

First

First: challenging knowledge, attitudes and behaviours

Second

Second: encourages peer learning and promotes road safety issues through partnership working.

IMAGE: Two road-safety panels for children read “Stop Look Listen” and “Be Safe Be Seen Be Warm”. They show children wearing high-visibility clothing near a road.

Third & Fourth

Third & Fourth: to encourage young people aged between 11 and 14 to assess their situations around roads and traffic, and to act in the safety way around them.

IMAGE: A road-safety illustration includes the text “Never take a signal from any driver to cross – they may not be able to see if the road is clear in both directions.” The main message reads “Check Before You Cross” and shows a child and adult crossing a road near a school bus and other vehicles.

Senior Phase

Senior Phase: for young people aged 14-17, to help provide a full picture of risks on the roads.

Cycling Scotland

Cycling Scotland is responsible for the national cycle training programme for school children.

www.cycling.scot

Play on Pedals will teach pre-school children about the parts of a bike, how to fit a helmet correctly and the basics of looking after their bikes. Through a series of fun and imaginative activities, they will be helped to develop their balance and control skills, often using a pedal-less balance bike. Play on Pedals has strong links to the curriculum for excellence.

Bikeability Scotland is a multi-level programme designed to give children the skills and confidence they need to cycle safely on the road.

Bikeability Scotland

www.cycling.scot

IMAGE: A Play on Pedals logo appears beside text explaining that the programme teaches pre-school children about bike parts, helmet fitting, bike care, balance and control skills, often using a pedal-less balance bike, with links to the Curriculum for Excellence.

IMAGE: A Bikeability Scotland banner shows children cycling and wearing helmets.

IMAGE: Sir Chris Hoy is pictured presenting Bikeability Scotland certificates to pupils from North Walls Community School. Several children and adults are standing outside a building and holding certificates.

Sustrans Scotland works with local authorities to support schools with a wide range of resources, activities and funding opportunities to help support safer active travel to schools and the development of School Travel Plans.

Engineering in Orkney

The condition and design of Orkney roads are not perceived as being contributory factors in the majority of accidents, however, by careful consideration improvements can be brought about to make the roads in Orkney safer for all users.

Working through School Travel Plans and Safe Routes to Schools, safety audits and reviews can identify where safety concerns arise about journeys to and from schools. By noting where these problems are encountered, work can be carried out to either alleviate the danger or provide alternative suitable access routes for all users.

Orkney Islands Council is giving full consideration to how reallocation of road space can be used to provide a safe environment for all road users. The Council will continue to provide support to groups requesting traffic calming measures, where priority is given to pedestrians and cyclists rather than motorists. Continued expansion of the cycle network and other active travel projects will be considered where appropriate funding is available.

The Council will continue to review speed limits and determine if the existing limits are appropriate and where necessary implement local speed limits where it is determined this will improve safety.

Details of reported injury accidents are recorded on a database and mapping system. This data is used to highlight accident hotspots and by analysis of the data common causation factors can be identified.

Where causation factors can be tackled by engineering changes to the road environment, costs and benefits of the changes required will be balanced against each other. In this way, cost effective improvements can be introduced for the benefit of all road users.

The Roads Management and Maintenance Plan sets out how the Council will maintain the roads network in a safe and serviceable condition for the efficient movement of people, goods, and services. The plan must reflect current budgetary constraints and is supported by the Roads Asset Management Plan.

All improvements will be based on identified elements of good practice to support both the development of road safety programmes and project implementation, and will have objectives that are Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Timed (SMART).

IMAGE: A road sign showing a 30-mile-per-hour speed limit is mounted beside traffic lights against a blue sky.

The road network not only carries people, vehicles, and goods, but also other service apparatus that are essential to maintain everyday life and commerce. It is therefore vital that there is a structured approach to roads management and maintenance that ensures the safety of the network for road users by maximising the long term benefits of routine maintenance.

The Council will continue to review street lighting to determine if the existing lighting is appropriate. Consideration will be given to modifying lighting if it is determined that this will improve road safety whilst taking account of the need to minimise light pollution.

Active Travel

The aim of Sustrans Scotland’s Strategic Partnership programme is to work with partner organisations to understand the local barriers to active travel delivery and work together to develop and deliver a strategic approach to overcome these barriers, building momentum for local implementation.

Orkney Islands Council has one of the five temporary Sustrans Embedded Officers in Scotland working in the undernoted key ways:

• Facilitating a strategic approach
• Adding capacity to plan and deliver high quality active travel projects.
• Identifying and developing funding opportunities
• Building connections to ensure a collaborative approach with stakeholders and through community engagement.
• Influencing through sharing knowledge, expertise and evidence.

IMAGE: A narrow rural road runs beside coastal water and a stone wall, with a tall standing stone beside the road and open landscape under a cloudy sky.

Scottish Fire and Rescue Service

The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service has long been associated with responding to Road Traffic Collisions that occur on our road network. We have a statutory duty to respond to this type of incident along with many other forms of rescue. Our crews across Orkney are highly trained in the necessary skills required, and train regularly utilising current extrication and stabilisation equipment to safely rescue casualties from the aftermath of vehicle collisions.

During 2022 / 23 new hydraulic rescue equipment was provided to the 12 stations in Orkney, this equipment is quicker to get to work and safer to use. Yet, no matter how swift and effective our response is, a tragically high number of people are still injured and lose their lives on the road as a result of these incidents. Like our partners, the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service is committed to preventing these incidents from occurring wherever possible and we work closely with other key agencies, including third sector agencies, to educate people about the dangers and risks on our roads.

We will commit, when possible, resources to provide annual education events aimed at schools, our young people and the wider community. We are recognised by all stakeholders as a major contributor in the formulation and delivery of road safety policies and initiatives across the county of Orkney, and we fully support Orkney’s Road Safety Forum in developing the Orkney’s Road Safety Strategy to 30.

IMAGE: The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service logo appears beside photographs of firefighters and rescue personnel posing beside a fire engine, and firefighters using hydraulic rescue equipment to work on a vehicle.

Scottish Ambulance Service

The Scottish Ambulance Service responds to a wide variety of emergency calls including Road Traffic Collisions across Orkney, often in conjunction with our partners at Police Scotland and The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service.

Many of our patients will then pass through the healthcare services at NHS Orkney. As part of this patient centred network in a small community, we see the impact of Road Traffic Collisions not only on the individuals, families and bystanders involved but also on emergency services and hospital staff.

As such, we are committed to supporting the development of Orkney’s Road Safety Strategy to 2030 in order to reduce casualties and make our roads safer for all users.

Education is a key aspect of this, ensuring that people of all ages understand the importance of road safety and courtesy not just for themselves, but for the whole community.

IMAGE: Several Scottish Ambulance Service vehicles are parked together at sunset, including ambulances and a support car. The word “AMBULANCE” is painted on the road in front of them.

NHS Orkney

NHS Orkney is responsible for the healthcare of the population of Orkney, which is approximately 21,500 people.

NHS Orkney provides a comprehensive range of primary, community-based and acute hospital services.

NHS Orkney’s healthcare and hospital facility, The Balfour, offers many services, these include, but are not limited to: Emergency Department, Outpatients, Radiology, Physiotherapy, Two inpatient wards and a High Dependency Unit (HDU), as well as the Scottish Ambulance Service. Having all these services under one roof allows for excellent multidisciplinary working to benefit our patients.

Our Emergency Department provides emergency care to the residents of Orkney, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. The department works in connection with the Scottish Ambulance Service, to provide timely care to our community. The Emergency Department also works in close partnership with our HDU and Theatre teams to ensure patients receive the appropriate care and recovery.

NHS Orkney works together with NHS Grampian’s Aberdeen Royal Infirmary (ARI). Should patients require emergency care at ARI, we work together with Scotland’s Charity Air Ambulance (SCAA) to ensure they get there quickly and safely.

IMAGE: The Balfour hospital is shown in a rural landscape, with the hospital building in the foreground and houses, farmland and hills behind it.

Enforcement

The impact a road death has is catastrophic, and the effects are amplified and so keenly felt in small communities like ours in Orkney.

In Orkney, promoting road safety is a community-wide commitment. As part of Scotland's Road Safety Framework to 2030, enforcement plays a key role in fostering safer roads across Orkney, with a specific focus on changing drivers' habits through collaborative efforts.

By enforcing road traffic laws and regulations, we deter unsafe behaviours, safeguarding both residents and visitors in Orkney. We target behaviours such as speeding, drink driving, mobile phone use, and non-compliance with seat belt use as we aim to encourage responsible road use.

Orkney's enforcement strategy involves partnerships and close cooperation. Local councils, Police Scotland, and other stakeholders pool their expertise and resources to enact change. This joint effort ensures that enforcement actions meet the island community's unique needs, improving road safety outcomes.

Instead of a camera network, Orkney focuses on changing drivers' behaviour through community-led enforcement initiatives. As a partnership we work closely with residents and local organisations to increase road safety awareness. Educational campaigns, targeted enforcement efforts, and community engagement aim to empower individuals to make responsible driving choices.

This strategy aligns with Orkney's vision of drivers prioritising safety and thoughtful road use. By promoting personal responsibility, the community takes proactive steps to create a safer road environment. This includes encouraging drivers to respect speed limits, refrain from drink driving, avoid mobile phone distractions, and consistently use seat belts.

IMAGE: A police officer in a high-visibility jacket stands on a rural road at sunset.

IMAGE: A Police Scotland vehicle is parked beside the coast with mountains and water behind it during sunset.

Through these joint efforts, Orkney is working towards safer journeys on its roads, demonstrating the importance of collaboration and personal responsibility. By prioritising enforcement and working in partnership, Orkney's community fosters positive change, paving the way for a future where road safety is a common value. Together, we can build a safer future, promoting safe driving within Orkney's close community.

IMAGE: A Police Scotland vehicle is shown close up beside coastal water at sunset, with the word “POLICE” and the “PoliceScotland” logo visible on the vehicle.

Partner Links

HITRANS

https://hitrans.org.uk/

NHS Orkney

https://www.ohb.scot.nhs.uk

Orkney Islands Council

https://www.orkney.gov.uk

Police Scotland

https://www.scotland.police.uk

Road Safety Scotland

https://roadsafety.scot

Scottish Ambulance Service

https://www.scottishambulance.com

Scottish Fire & Rescue Services

https://www.firescotland.gov.uk

Sustrans Scotland

https://www.sustrans.org.uk/about-us/our-work-in-scotland

Transport Scotland

https://www.transport.gov.scot