The summer heatwaves have seen huge numbers of visitors out and about on Scotland’s roads.
As the temperatures soared, many headed out for day trips to hills, lochs, and other popular places.
But sadly, the behaviour of a minority on our rural roads is becoming intolerable for communities living day in, day out, with danger.
I see illegal parking on fast, narrow roads and too many bikers and drivers treating Clackmannanshire’s roads like the Isle of Man during TT week.
The tragedy of deaths and life-changing injuries grows week in, week out; some crashes are unavoidable, but many are caused and exacerbated by speeding.
Every death is a huge tragedy affecting loved ones, colleagues, and friends while leaving lasting trauma for emergency services, witnesses, and survivors.
I think it’s right that the Scottish Government is proposing to lower the national speed limit on single carriageway roads to 50 mph.
We need a ‘safe system’ approach that cuts the risk to road users.
Driver error will always be a factor that is impossible to eliminate, but reducing speed cuts the risk of serious injury and death.
Alongside that change, better police enforcement is also needed.
Too many communities rely on a ‘cardboard cut-out’ police officer tied to a lamppost as a way to encourage drivers to stick to the legal limit.
That isn’t enough; the Scottish Government need to ensure that Police Scotland have the resources and the focus to increase visible policing on rural roads.
That should include education and awareness campaigns alongside better use of dashcam footage, mobile and fixed speed cameras, and plain clothes enforcement.
Meanwhile, in built-up areas, the roll-out of 20 mph speed limits continues, with most councils looking to complete the switch this year.
I’m delighted this is happening, five years after I first introduced my Members Bill in the Scottish Parliament to make 20 mph the default safe speed limit where we live.
The evidence from Wales shows this will significantly cut the casualty rate.
Clackmannanshire Council was one of the first in the UK to roll out 20 mph limits across every community, and while five years ago these may have seemed unusual, now they are becoming the norm.
We should aspire to be a country where there are zero deaths on the roads.
There is a long way to go, but reducing speed limits, enforcement, and road safety education is the basic first step to stopping the growing number of tragedies.
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