Safer roads hopes

News of £36 million funding to support walking and cycling announced by Transport Minister Humza Yousaf is to be welcomed, albeit part of an £80m funding pot already allocated.

Far too often we experience how sharing roads among pedestrians, cyclists and motorists leads to unwanted collisions that could have been prevented had the road conditions and visibility been better. Therefore we support separating pedestrians, cyclists and motorists through an expansion of the network of walking and cycling paths across Scotland.

We would like to stress, however, that measures like these will not singlehandedly lead to safer roads. The road mentality in Scotland still favours the motorist over more vulnerable road-users, which presents a huge barrier to more people taking up active lifestyles.

More needs to be done to change our road culture fundamentally for people in Scotland to feel safer regardless of their means of transportation, ultimately empowering them to lead healthier and more active lifestyles.

Perhaps it is time we started to beat the ‘Presumed Liability’ drum once again?

BRENDA MITCHELL Road Traffic Accident Law (Scotland) LLP Princes Street, Edinburgh