Good Morning Mr Johnstone
Thank you for your correspondence of 5 August 2019 regarding Safety Concerns on the A82 at Loch Lomond.
Road safety is of paramount importance to Transport Scotland. The Scottish Government’s Road Safety Framework to 2020 sets out a clear vision. This is to see a steady reduction in the numbers of those killed and those seriously injured, with the ultimate vision of a future where no-one is killed on Scotland’s roads, and the injury rate is much reduced.
Safety cameras are deployed through the Scottish Safety Camera Programme primarily where they have the greatest potential to reduce injury collisions. The aim of safety cameras is to reduce the number of casualties on Scotland’s roads by encouraging improved driver behaviour. Through the Scottish Safety Camera Programme, this technology is deployed where there is evidence of both collisions and speeding.
A set of criteria is in place within the Scottish Safety Camera Handbook to ensure national consistency when selecting new safety camera sites. This is available to view at: https://www.transport.gov.scot/media/4798/scottish-safety-camera-programme-handbook2.pdf
In terms of your request for safety cameras on the A82 at Loch Lomond, I can advise that Scottish Ministers recently announced plans to deliver an average speed camera system on a stretch of the A82/A85 between Tyndrum-Lix Toll. You can read more about this £250k investment here - http://www.safetycameras.gov.scot/news-publications/news/a82a85-average-speed-cameras-to-be-introduced/
An annual safety camera site prioritisation process is undertaken each year to determine new safety cameras sites across our road network. This national exercise acts to ensure the right camera technology is in the right place at the right time. It involves a range of partners including the three regional safety camera units, all thirty-three road authorities and Police Scotland. This exercise acts to identify potential new camera sites which meet the minimum criteria requirements, while at the same time assessing the performance of existing enforcement strategies. The 2019 site prioritisation process is underway and does include the Loch Lomond section of the A82. If it meets both collisions and speeding requirements then a safety camera deployment will be considered.
Regarding the two exits at Luss, we assess the safety performance of the trunk road network on an annual basis by screening all locations where three or more personal injury accidents have occurred in a three year period. Alongside accident clusters, we also look at accident patterns and rates in the form of Route Accident Reduction Plans (RARP). This ensures that full consideration is given to accidents that may be spread along a corridor. Further investigations are carried out and, where appropriate, mitigation measures are prioritised and delivered. This robust, evidence-based approach ensures that the funding available can be prioritised to those locations that offer the possibility of delivering the greatest casualty accident savings.
In the most recent review, the North Luss junction was identified as an accident cluster location and is being taken forward for further investigation by our Operating Company, BEAR Scotland.
I trust this information is helpful.
Kind regards
Nicola Clark
Correspondence and Briefing Officer
Trunk Road and Casualty Reduction Team | Roads Directorate
Tel: 0141 272 7505
Transport Scotland | Buchanan House | 58 Port Dundas Road | Glasgow G4 0HF.