Young drivers have been warned they will face stricter safety rules and lower speed limits across a major region as new road plans get given the green light.
The plan, which will run from 2025 to 2030, aims to tackle concerning statistics which found that young drivers aged 17 to 25 were disproportionately represented in road casualties.
Falkirk Council approved the Road Safety Plan last week, setting out measures to improve safety across the district's 993km road network.
The plan follows national targets of reducing road deaths and serious injuries by 50 per cent by 2030, with an ultimate goal of zero fatalities by 2050.
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Young drivers are more likely to get into a road collision than any other age groupGETTYStatistics found that while overall collision numbers have more than halved between 2013 and 2024, from 232 to 72, serious and fatal incidents remain a concern.
The council identified several high-risk groups requiring targeted interventions, including young drivers, motorcyclists, cyclists aged 36 to 55, and pedestrians aged 11 to 16 and over 65.
"This plan sets out a practical and evidence-based approach to reducing road casualties in Falkirk," said Douglas Gardiner, Head of Environment and Operations. Fatal collisions have increased by 1.50 per cent and fatal casualties by 2.5 per cent in the period 2013-2024.
Young drivers aged 17 to 25 account for 24 per cent of all recorded car driver casualties in Falkirk, despite making up only 10 per cent of all licence holders in Scotland.
This alarming statistic has prompted the council to introduce targeted measures for this age group. These include working with Safety Camera Scotland to enforce existing speed limits and increasing awareness of free online classroom resources available from Road Safety Scotland.
Research also identifies driver error as the most common factor in collisions, with "ineffective observation" responsible for 834 accidents between 2013 and 2024.
"Driver/rider being aggressive, dangerous or reckless" was the second most common factor, accounting for 273 collisions. The council has already introduced 20mph speed limit pilots in Airth, Allandale and Stoneywood as part of the safety measures.
While generally welcomed by residents concerned about speeding, councillors have requested more data on their effectiveness.
Councillor Laura Murtagh, whose ward includes Airth, said, "the results of 20mph were not straightforward and full data analysis is needed." Data from Airth shows a reduction in average speeds, but still no overall compliance with the 20mph limit.
Some Allandale residents also raised concerns that the limits are "regularly being ignored" and have led to "dangerous overtaking."
The plan includes specific measures for young motorcyclists, who account for 32 per cent of all two-wheeled motor vehicle casualties.
These include using BikeGuard on rural carriageway barriers to prevent riders from sliding under barriers and reviewing junctions with histories of motorcycle collisions.
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:
The council has been rolling out more 20mph zones
PAConservative group leader, Baillie James Kerr, praised recent safety improvements at Cadgers Brae and hoped more similar projects could be identified, while SNP councillor Paul Garner said the approach provided a more "proactive approach to road safety", aligning with national targets.
