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Council and schools join forces for Road Safety Plan
A NEW plan that will strengthen North Ayrshire’s commitment to safer roads is expected to be approved.
At a meeting of Cabinet on Tuesday, elected members are recommended to give the green light to the new Road Safety Plan.
The new strategy places partnership working with schools, young people and education services at its heart.
The blueprint outlines a long-term vision to reduce road casualties, improve road user behaviour and help create safer journeys for everyone across North Ayrshire and is aligned with Scotland’s Vision Zero ambition - which aims to eliminate deaths and serious injuries on roads by 2050.
Built around the nationally recognised Safe System approach, the strategy recognises that while people can make mistakes, road networks should be designed and managed to minimise the risk of serious harm.
A key focus of the plan is education, with North Ayrshire Council working closely with schools, early years centres, colleges and families to develop lifelong road safety skills from an early age.
Through a range of age-appropriate programmes, children and young people will be supported to understand road safety, active travel and responsible behaviour as pedestrians, cyclists, passengers and future drivers.
The plan sets out a range of initiatives for all stages of education, including support for Junior Road Safety Officers, cycle training programmes, active travel projects and road safety campaigns delivered in partnership with Road Safety Scotland, Education Services, Active Schools and community partners. Secondary school pupils will continue to benefit from interventions focused on young driver safety, helping to address one of the higher-risk groups identified in collision data.
Recent figures show encouraging progress on North Ayrshire’s road network. Fatalities on local roads have reduced from four in 2022 to one in 2024, while serious injuries have fallen from 48 in 2018 to 29 in 2024. Minor injuries have also shown a significant decline over the same period.
Quote: While we have made progress, we recognise that more can be done. Road safety is everyone’s responsibility, and the strongest results come when we work together. This plan recognises the importance of partnership between the Council, our schools, parents, community organisations and road safety partners to help keep people safe on our roads.
Quote from: Councillor Eleanor Collier, Cabinet member for Green Environment and Economy
“By educating children and young people from an early age, while continuing to improve our roads and support safer travel choices, we can build a culture where road safety becomes part of everyday life. Every journey matters, and by working together we can help reduce collisions, protect vulnerable road users and create safer communities for everyone across North Ayrshire.”
The Council will continue to work closely with the Safer North Ayrshire Partnership, which brings together representatives from Education, NHS Ayrshire & Arran, Police Scotland, Scottish Fire and Rescue Service and other key organisations. This collaborative approach will help ensure road safety messages are reinforced across communities and that interventions are targeted where they can have the greatest impact.
In addition to education, the strategy supports wider initiatives including the rollout of 20mph speed limits, improved road infrastructure, active travel routes and awareness campaigns focusing on the “Fatal Five” causes of collisions: speeding, drink and drug driving, mobile phone use, failure to wear seatbelts and careless driving.
Published: 29 September 2026