Glossary of terms

Accident or Collision

Occurs when a vehicle collides with another vehicle, pedestrian, animal, road debris, or other moving or stationary obstruction. These often result in injuries to road users.

Road Safety Practitioners refer to Collisions whilst STAG guidance has historically referred to Accidents.

With respect to casualties, some Collisions involve more than one casualty.

Cost and Benefit to Accidents Light Touch

COBALT (COst and Benefit to Accidents – Light Touch) is the Department for Transport’s (‘DfT’) software tool for forecasting road accident impacts.

Heavy Goods Vehicles / Goods Vehicles

Heavy Goods Vehicles (HGVs) and Goods Vehicles are referred to in this report. HGVs and Goods Vehicles within the context of this report are those vehicles more than 7.5 tonnes maximum laden weight.

Mean Traffic Speed

Average speed of traffic

Net Zero

A target of completely negating the amount of greenhouse gases produced by human activity. This is aimed to be achieved by reducing emissions and implementing methods of absorbing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

Nitrogen Oxides (NO_x)

Nitrogen Oxides is a term which refers to gases-nitric oxide (NO), which is a colourless, odourless gas and nitrogen dioxide (NO2), which is a reddish-brown gas with a pungent odour. These gases form part of the emissions of diesel vehicles in particular.

Rural Roads

Rural roads typically are minor and major roads outside of urban areas and are subject to the National Speed Limit.

Safe System

Is an approach to road safety which puts the human being at its centre, and which stems from the belief that every road death or serious injury is preventable.

Scottish Transport Appraisal Guidance (STAG)

STAG supports the Scottish Government’s objectives by providing a clear framework to assess evidence based transport problems and opportunities. It does so by promoting robust, objective-led analysis that can be consistently applied in all transport appraisal contexts.

Speed related factors

Speed related factors are contributory factors which have been recorded as “Exceeding speed limit” and “Travelling too fast for the conditions” as part of the STATS19 reporting of a collision.

STATS19

STATS19 is a nationwide standard approach for recording collision data. The data is collected and reported by Police Scotland.

Transport Model for Scotland (TMfS)

The TMfS is a strategic transport model, which provides a broad representation of transport supply and estimates of transport demand and is used to help appraise the potential impacts of major investments or policies decisions

Vision Zero

Is a strategy to eliminate all traffic fatalities and severe injuries, while increasing safe, healthy and equitable mobility for all.